Shadow's Decision
by Jordany5b
Summary: This story focuses around Shadow and the trouble he has gotten himself into after the events in Soleanna. Shadouge. Rated T for Language, Graphic Content and Suggestive Themes. Updates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, faves, follows, and reviews are greatly appreciated! This story is soon to be complete! all chapters have been written and edited, uploading is in progress.
1. Chapter 1 - The introduction

Chapter 1 - The introduction

(A/N, This is my first experience with writing fanfiction material, and it would be greatly appreciated if some constructive feedback was left after every chapter or so. Any questions or comments, feel free to leave it in the review section, inbox me, or follow me on twitter at jordany5b)

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

This story takes place after the defeat of Solaris, with Shadow and Rouge still working for G.U.N as top agents. The pair is as close as they ever were, which really isn't that close, and to Shadow, his missions came before anything else. They may work together but the thought of living with each other made both of them laugh, knowing that they would claw at each other constantly. So two working class citizens, with two separate homes; Rouge's home, where everybody in Team Sonic and The Chaotix for example, knew the location of, and Shadow's home, so secretive, that he himself didn't know where he lived sometimes. Recently, Rouge had gotten in touch with Shadow's softer side, after missions getting him to agree to be her designated driver after a night on the town.

They both live in Station Square, along with many of Rouge's friends and Shadow's "acquaintances". He calls them acquaintances as friendship was lost to him long ago. Instead, he places the people that know him on a scale. The ones that annoy him the least would be the first he would save in a dangerous situation, not before saving himself, completing the objective, and then saving his teammates, in that order of course.

The person currently at the top of the scale of people to save would probably be Amy Rose. Why? Because of Shadow's rival, the Faker. She makes Sonic's life a living hell, which although he never shows it, it was the best feeling in the world to Shadow. Rouge valued her friends equally, but if she had to choose between having friends and being rich, Rouge would definitely choose to be rich. Who needs friends when you can bathe in diamonds?

So, there is the situation, the characters, and the first mini-chapter of the story.


	2. Chapter 2 - Just breaking in

Chapter 2 - Just breaking in

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are my own creation.

8:31PM- Friday 22 January 2023.

After a long day at work, and another successful mission, the young agent needed to get home to have a nice hot bath. The agent, a young ivory bat, spread her wings, and took off swiftly, in an elegant yet effective motion. Rouge doesn't live too far from G.U.N HQ, only a few blocks away, but she wanted to get home quickly, not liking the look of the clouds above. Walking would get her caught in the fore coming bad weather indefinitely. Approaching her home, she began to descend until she hovered above the path within her front garden that leads to her front door. She dropped to the ground from a few inches and ceased her flight. Rouge began to walk along the path to her home when she noticed one of the front windows smashed to oblivion.

"Stupid kids..." Rouge snarled at the thought playing in her head, children throwing stones at her beautiful home, her sanctuary.

She walked further along the path to inspect the broken window but noticed that the front door was slightly open.

"Seems the news was right..." Rouge looked down at her feet, with tears welling up in her eyes. The recent news mentioned that there had been a small crime wave targeting homes during the day when the owners were at work, shopping or visiting others.

Tears hit the ground all around her, but they didn't belong to Rouge. She looked up to see the clouds pouring rain down onto her, as if her day couldn't get any worse. Make-up and mascara starting to gently slide down her cheeks, Rouge walked into the vacant home, to see her less valuable belongings thrown across the floor and furniture roughly misplaced. As she walked into the once tidy living room, she noticed her TV, gone. Her new furniture, gone. One small object on the floor caught the last glimpse of light from the sun before it set, revealing a small shining photo frame. This was one of Rouge's most treasured possessions, proof that she did have friends, even if the individuals in the image didn't want to admit it, or understand the concept at all. The photo was of Omega, Shadow and herself after returning from their journey to Soleanna, and their war against Mephiles, although none of them can remember Mephiles, Iblis, Silver and Blaze etc.

Omega. E-123. "The Robot". One of Rouge's teammates back in the days of Team Dark, and a member of the trio of G.U.N agents from that very same team. Omega was reassigned shortly after returning from Soleanna, to a bunch of rookies who are learning the ropes in combat training and combat analysis. The board believed that Rouge and Shadow could operate at near enough the similar standards, without the assistance of Omega.

Shadow. The Ultimate Life-Form. An experiment. Rouge's only teammate at the current moment, who is the only guy in the whole of Station Square who won't react to Rouge's natural flirtatious behaviour. She respected that in him, yet hated it at the same time. When she really did try to flirt with him, he still didn't respond like any normal guy would. She was still happy to be working with him, although Shadow didn't return the same feelings, as long as nobody gets in his way, he would team up with anybody.

Snapping back to reality, Rouge remembered why she was reminiscing about the good old days. She stood the shattered photo frame back up on the small coffee table, and took out her mobile phone, calling the emergency services.

A few hours, and many questions later, Rouge was free to leave the police station, her home cordoned off while investigations took place. She looked through her phone at her contacts; maybe someone would let her stay the night.

"Amy... No, she would probably ask if Sonic and herself would make a good couple all night. Knuckles? Maybe, but Angel Island is quite far away. Sonic? The last thing I would want to do is explain to Amy why I slept at his of all places."

"Hmm... Maybe you handsome."

Rouge rung up Shadow's mobile to which he answered rather quickly for somebody who doesn't like talking.

Sh- "What is it? It's almost 11pm."

R- "Shadow, can you meet me at a bar downtown? I have some bad news."

Sh- "You're drunk and need a lift? I'm busy. Ask someone else."

R- "Listen, I'm not drunk, I don't need a lift, I just want a talk."

Sh- "Very well. Just tell me where so I can get it over with and then get back to sleep."

R- "That's what you mean by busy? Hmph. Fine, meet me at Beamz, know where that is?"

Sh- "Yeah, the same place we did a drug bust 3 months ago, I'm sure we'll get a warm welcome."

R- "It's under new management Shadz, do you ever watch the news?" Rouge said, rolling her eyes.

Sh- "Yeah whatever, I'll be there in 5."

Shadow hung up without saying goodbye, not to Rouge's surprise. She is used to his personality, bland, and straight to the point. Unless extra information would interfere with what he was doing, he didn't care. Rouge was already outside of the club when she contacted Shadow, before going in and finding a vacant booth.

The club, Beamz, was quite advanced compared to a normal club. Instead of waiters or bartenders, party goers can order drinks straight from their seats via tablets provided at every table. The tablets were optional, as getting a little too intoxicated may hinder the user's ability with the tablet, requiring a trip to the bartender who was located to the side of the club.

Rouge ordered a cheeky margarita while she had the chance, and to get Shadow to agree to help her, she'd need more than just one round of drinks.

Tequila shots, 5 rounds to be exact.

"That should just about do it."


	3. Chapter 3 - A little leverage

Chapter 3 - A little leverage

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Shadow walked into the club, scanning his surroundings for his teammate, who has such "important" news to tell him, that she had to awake him from his slumber. Shadow could see Rouge alone in one of the booths. He noticed that she wasn't in her usual cheery mood when she was clubbing. He began his short walk to the booth, overhearing a conversation from a small group of guys sitting a few tables away from Rouge.

"If you're gonna pull, do it after she's finished her drink, you need all of the help you can get Daz."

The group started laughing and Shadow's pupils dilated, and turned a darker shade of red, as if he had veins on the surface of his eyes. He hated when people took advantage of others who were unable to make their own conscious decision.

"Quick, she's finished, now's your chance!"

Shadow continued walking to Rouge's table when he noticed that she had finished whatever drink she was having, with another 15 shots around her. His foot hung in mid-air as somebody had gotten up, not knowing Shadow was headed in the same direction. This guy, "Daz" and Shadow both started walking toward Rouge's table. Shadow finally put the pieces together, and put out an arm to meet with this unfortunate moron's arm.

Sh- "I wouldn't do that if I were in your shoes."

D- "And what's stopping me fool? If she's alone, she mustn't be yours, if she is, then you don't deserve that at all."

Sh- "She doesn't belong to anybody." Shadow said tightening his grip. "Last warning, back down, or get torn down, your choice, buddy."

Shadow really didn't want to cause a scene, so he simply let go of the guy's arm and lowered his own arm, keeping it raised slightly, palm face up in the air. Shadow summoned a small amount of Chaos energy, a small crackling green ball. Daz backed up, and slowly walked back to his seat, defeated before it had even begun.

Shadow sat down across from Rouge, favouring the seat he took rather than the one beside her, which caught her attention and ended her daydream.

Sh- "So, what's the problem? I've already done you a favour before I even got here so you owe me twice as much."

Rouge tilted her head to the side in a questioning look.

Sh- "Some drunk bozo was about to march over here and request a night at Casa del Rouge."

R- "Well... That's the problem really."

Sh- "What? You're lonely? You are the last person in my mind to be depressed about being by yourself."

R- "My home was broken into earlier today and I have nowhere to stop for the night."

Shadow was onto his eighth shot already, not asking who they were for, just assuming they were for him. He wasn't a drinker, but tequila is his Achilles' heel. Rouge looked up to Shadow's face to see his reaction to the news, sound hit her ears before her eyes could reach his face.

He was laughing. SHADOW was laughing. Was it the alcohol or just the request for help from Rouge?

Sh- "Rouge, you are better than any comedian on so called television. Come on, seriously, what is it that you brought me here for?"

R- "Shadow, it's true. They took everything of value that wasn't bolted down."

Rouge withdrew the shattered photo from her bag and placed it gently onto the table.

R- "This was all that they left that has any value to me."

Shadow observed the photo, it seemed familiar, and it was definitely him, Rouge and Omega.

R- "Is it okay if I stay at yours perhaps?"

Sh- "Rouge, you know I don't have guests. There's a reason for that. Is there nobody else you can go to? Pinky perhaps?"

R- "No, Shadow, I'm begging you, just let me stay for the night. I'll make it up to you eventually."

Sh- "You know, guilt is the only thing that haunts me these days. If I left here saying no it would only add to that guilt and drag me down further. You're not giving me a choice are you?"

R- "I am giving you a choice, but it's whether or not you don't mind me staying."

Sh- "Fine. But I hope you don't mind riding backseat."

Shadow got up, and started walking to the exit, not in the straightest of lines, but at least he didn't fall over. Rouge followed, grabbing her bag and quickly following him out of the exit. Shadow and Rouge walked to the car park, and stopped at the nearest parking spot, which was half filled with a dark chrome motorbike inhabiting the space.

Shadow got on, fumbling with his keys until he found the right key and ignited the engine. Rouge got on the back shortly after, about to lock her arms around Shadow's stomach.

Sh- "Hold on to the back of the seat or you'll probably fall off."

Rouge cut her attempt short and lowered her arms before they were in his view, grabbing the leather seat as instructed. Shadow accelerated slowly at first, and then sped up once he had left the car park. Rouge was greatly relieved he would take her in. Shadow on the other hand, was extremely nervous about this.


	4. Chapter 4 - Shadow's palace

Chapter 4 - Shadow's palace

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Sh- "Once we get in; wait in the living room until I get some things sorted out."

R- "Fine." Rouge huffed, as she got off of the motorcycle, while Shadow opened the garage and closed the door behind him, leaving Rouge out in the cold.

Rouge looked up at Shadow's house, surprised he managed to keep this place a secret from anyone, it's massive! She expected Shadow to live in a small one bedroom flat. What she saw however, was a nicely sized two floor detached building, with a decent garden either end of it. After admiring the house and trying to forget about the cold weather, the front door slowly opened. A nervous hedgehog on the inside, constantly looking over his shoulder to a room down the hall.

Sh- "Get in before the cold beats you to it."

Rouge walked in, with her luggage, a medium sized handbag, dropping it in the passageway while scuttling slowly into what appeared to be the living room. A 42" plasma mounted on the wall.

R- "Shadow certainly enjoys the luxuries of life..." Rouge muttered to herself.

Shadow reappeared from down the hall, walking into the living room to see Rouge looking around.

Sh- "Don't get used to it."

Rouge jumped, not knowing Shadow had returned.

R- "Where did you go off to?"

Sh- "That is none of your concern. I guess you coming here was inevitable wasn't it? No matter. Now if you want to stay the night, there are some ground rules. Number one. No snooping around the house. Number two. Do not go anywhere near the room down the hall. It's locked for a reason. Number four..."

R- "What about rule three?"

Sh- "Do not try to UNLOCK the door to the room down the hall. Number four. No parties. Number five, the most important of all. Do NOT touch any food without permission. You are a tenant, not a food critic."

R- "Geez calm down handsome, you don't have to treat me like a stranger you know?"

Sh- "I'm not. If it were a stranger standing where you are right now, they would be standing for approximately another two seconds."

Rouge felt safe in Shadow's home. Any burglars that would attempt to break in would be signing their own death warrant. Shadow would be the one classed as the criminal once he would be finished with them.

Sh- "Wait here while I get something, understand?"

R- "Sure, where will I be sleeping?"

Shadow once again walked out of the room, into the hall, then heading into what seemed to be his bedroom. Rouge disobeyed Shadow's order and quietly followed him to his room, and swiftly jumped past, making sure Shadow didn't see her. The next room to Shadow's had a similar door; however this one was locked, either by a key or from the inside. The last room in the dark hall was open, which was a bathroom.

Sh- "There are two bathrooms." Shadow appeared out of nowhere again, startling her for the second time.

Sh- "This one, and an en-suite in my room. Unless there's a problem with this one, you have no reason to enter my room. Got it?"

R- "Shadow, you aren't speaking in a foreign language. I do have ears you know? And sensitive ones at that."

Sh- "Oh, then you must have heard me earlier when I clearly said "Wait here.""

R- "Just wanted to find the bathroom if it isn't too much to ask. What is that room?"

Rouge pointed to the door a few feet behind Shadow.

Sh- "If I wanted you to know I would not have made rules regarding maintaining the secrecy of what is behind that door would I?"

Shadow lead Rouge back to the living room, and indicated that she should take a seat. She complied and her reward for doing so was a volley of a blanket and two pillows.

Sh- "Enjoy your sleep." He said, walking to his room, about to close the door before she realised what was going on.

R- "You are making me sleep on the couch? What a gentleman you are. Aren't there any other rooms, like the one down the hall perhaps?"

Sh- "Good night Rouge." Were his final words, before closing his door. Rouge heard the small locking mechanism click slightly. Not even tucked in or offered a drink, what sympathy.

R- "Maybe I should have tried asking Amy..."

Rouge organised herself, fluffing her pillows and placing the soft blanket over her. She daren't change into her nightwear in fear of possibly breaking Shadow's secret ground rules, as stupid as they were. In the morning she decided she would ring around some more, find better living conditions that match her standards, rather than an untidy living room.


	5. Chapter 5 - A rude awakening

Chapter 5 - A rude awakening

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

_CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!_

Rouge slowly awakened, trying to find what was making that horrible noise. Shadow was in the kitchen, cooking?

"Wonder if he is making up for last night..." Rouge thought, stretching and gathering her bearings. The clock read 10:46 AM; at least she got a decent sleep.

Both Shadow and Rouge were on call on most days, only coming into HQ for urgent circumstances. Omega could handle most of the minor incidents that needed attention, reducing the workload for many agents in the government organisation.

Finishing her stretches and yawns, Rouge walked into the kitchen, to see with her own eyes that Shadow was actually cooking breakfast.

R- "I guess the Ultimate Life-Form is as capable as the rest of us when it comes to domestic work." Rouge said winking at the ebony hedgehog, who gave no more than a quick glance at the ivory bat. Rouge saw his eyes straightaway, bloodshot.

R- "Didn't sleep well? Don't tell me that your large warm bed is less comfortable than a small cramped couch?" Shadow was cooking bacon and eggs, nothing more, and not a large portion either. He took a plate from the draining board and slapped the meal onto it, walking now with a knife and fork to the table in the centre of the kitchen. As he withdrew the chair from underneath the table, Rouge was surprised at the effort he was putting in just to make her breakfast.

It was when Shadow sat down at the table by himself Rouge's head flipped. The selfish twat.

R- "I knew it was too good to be true."

Sh- "Hmm?" Shadow didn't speak as he had his mouth full and his brain half awake.

R- "I'm gonna take a shower. Is that okay with you?"

Shadow nodded and Rouge walked off to the bathroom down the hall, getting chills as she passed the mystery room that Shadow was keeping a secret. Maybe he remembered her birthday was coming up and he actually remembered this year.

R- "Pfft, the way he's acting he probably wouldn't raise a toe to save a life. Talk about effort."

While Rouge was in the shower, Shadow had finished his breakfast and his day by the looks of it. He had fallen asleep once the plate was clear and hit it head first causing it to shatter on impact. He had a rough night last night, trying to think of an explanation to Rouge for something that didn't even need explaining, but then there was the other thing circling his mind, which if anybody found out, he'd be a dead hog walking.

Rouge, having finished her shower after twenty minutes, walked into the living room in just a towel, hoping she wouldn't be noticed, searched her bag for her toothbrush and make-up, and then quickly returned to the bathroom. She didn't bring toothpaste in hope of using Shadow's, finding a small glass containing a tube of toothpaste and two toothbrushes...

R- "Why does he need two?"

She stopped brushing and looked at one of the brushes. It was black, with a small red inscribed "S" on the front. The other brush was white, with a dark yellow "K" in the exact same place.

R- "Who the hell is "K"...?"

After finishing up and applying her face for the day, she got dressed and tried to find where Shadow had gotten off to. His bedroom was open, so he wasn't in there, the living room was empty and the door leading to the garage was still locked. The last place to look was the kitchen, but surely he would be done by now

Rouge walked in to see Shadow with his head still against the table, and shattered china scattered across the table.

R- "Shadow?"

No answer...

R- "Shadow! Wake up!"

Sh- "I'm calling in sick..."

R- "You aren't at work today, it's Tuesday. Look what you've done. A waste of a plate and you've grazed your head."

Sh- "I'll survive... I just need some (yawn) sleep is all."

R- "Shadow, who is "K"?"


	6. Chapter 6 - An argument arises

Chapter 6 - An argument arises

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Sh- "I've already warned you, mind your own business." Shadow said sternly with an angered expression, a small trickle of blood moving from his forehead down to his cheek.

R- "Fine, fine. But you really need to get that looked at, having an open wound that big won't benefit you in any way."

Shadow raised his hand to his forehead, gathering a small amount of concentrated Chaos energy on the way, and pressed it gently against the wound, without flinching, he closed the wound up with the intense heat of the raw energy, leaving a small scar.

Sh- "Get what looked at?" Shadow smirked as he wiped the almost dry blood off of his face, glove turning crimson in the process.

R- "Not the most elegant but I guess you're still stuck up about effectiveness instead huh?"

Sh- "Don't you have some friends to call up?"

Rouge walked out of the room, muttering under her breath, "At least I have friends to call... Freak."

Sh- "Thought so." Shadow said, acknowledging Rouge had backed down and started to leave

R- "At least Sonic would probably donate his bed to me."

Sh- "Don't compare me to him."

R- "Why not? Do you get jealous when he gets credit for everything? He's a true hero... Unlike you."

Sh- "Say that again."

R- "I said he's a true hero, unlike you, an unsympathetic freeloader."

Shadow stood up. Nobody had spoke to him like that and evaded the consequences. His eyes turned the same colour as last night when he almost became public enemy No.1 in that club.

Waiting for the first attack, they both stood there, staring, trying to unnerve the other combatant.

_CLICK!_

Shadow's ears perked up, recognising the sound earlier and set off straight for the room at the end of the hall. Giving Rouge an unfriendly shoulder barge as he walked past, she slowly followed.

Was someone in the house? How? Shadow a few feet in front of her, quickly ran into the now partly open door and shut it aggressively behind him. The same clicking sound was heard, most likely to stop Rouge from intruding where she wasn't wanted, which at the moment was pretty much anywhere in Shadow's way.

Rouge still pissed off at Shadow, decided to break one of his rules intentionally, and walked back to the kitchen to start raiding the fridge. Somebody was here, but not an intruder. Shadow knew of this person's existence, and they are being kept in that room for a reason. Rouge took her mind off it for a while, making herself a quick snack, before heading off into the living room to watch TV.

"He's taking a long time, that's for sure." Rouge said to herself, sitting on her unmade bed and kicking her feet up onto the coffee table.


	7. Chapter 7 - Is he hiding something?

Chapter 7 - Is he hiding something?

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

About 15 minutes passed, and Rouge heard the same click as before, the door slowly creaking open, a calm Shadow walking out of the room, his anger wiped away like nothing had happened at all. He walked into the living room, looking at Rouge.

Sh- "What's on?"

R- "So you want to talk now? What happened to wanting to put me out cold?"

Sh- "Rouge, you know I would not want to hurt you. Negative emotions get the better of me. While you are here, please try not to rile me up. I cannot always guarantee that there will not be consequences."

R- "Whatever... What's that?" Rouge pointed to a small rag that was in Shadow's grasp. It was mostly covered in blood, with next to none of the rag retaining its initial colour.

Sh- "Well what does it look like? My wound acted up again earlier, it's nothing."

The blood that was on the rag was dry, it had been there a while, and the wound on Shadow's forehead looked no different to what it did before their argument.

R- "Shadow, that blood isn't yours. The scratch looks exactly the same. For blood to be that dry, it must have been there for a few hours. Whose is it?"

Sh- "I've told you! I hate to admit it but yes, it is my blood."

R- "I'm not an idiot Shadow. The room, the rules, the locked door... Who else is here?"

Shadow's cover was blown. He didn't show it, but she knew she hit the nail on the head. Without answering, he walked into the kitchen, almost ripping the door off of the fridge pulling out a small bottle of his finest tequila, not bothering to get a glass. Throwing the lid onto the ground, he took a few hits, before dropping the bottle onto the kitchen counter. He walked down the hall again, entering and locking the door to the suspicious room.

Rouge watched him walk into the room down the hall, catching his eye for a second just before he slid in to the room. It was about time she found out who was in there, and if they were in trouble.


	8. Chapter 8 - Trustworthy?

Chapter 8 - Trustworthy?

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

(A/N Just a small chapter for this upload, the chapters will get longer with time ;p)

1:32PM Saturday (The same day)

As an experienced spy and agent, reconnaissance was one of Rouge's specialties. Rouge searched through her bag thoroughly, withdrawing anything that can help her in this situation. The main equipment that she removed was a mini radio, an earphone, and a pen and paper, to gather her facts.

G.U.N had recently invested into making remote control bugs, allowing agents to gather information more effectively without being seen, and Rouge, was one of the agents picked to test out this new equipment. With a tap, the little radio Rouge placed on the ground, just outside of the door, grew small robotic legs. Using a small touchpad, Rouge was able to direct the bug underneath the door, then switching the touchpad off, deactivating the bug's walking capabilities.

Walking back to the living room, the ear piece started picking up a nearby conversation taking place in the room down the hall. Rouge jotted down some things before taking notes of the conversation, such as; "K", door always locked, blooded rags... Shadow was indefinitely hiding something, what he was hiding however was way out of what he would normally keep to himself.

The conversation now on a fine frequency, she was now able to hear exactly what was going on. Rouge was very familiar with gathering information while working at G.U.N, most equipment that she needed was provided.


	9. Chapter 9 - Rouge's disappointment shows

Chapter 9 - Rouge's disappointment shows

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Sh- "Still in pain hmm? Seems like it just will not go away will it?"

"No..."

Sh- "That cut is quite deep, does this hurt?"

"AGHH- Yes! Yes it hurts very much! Please stop!"

Sh- "If you want it to get better I would suggest you stay still, and most importantly stay quiet."

"Take it off... Please... It stings."

Sh- "I said stay still, and stay quiet. I am not going to take it off until you have endured the full effect of it, no exceptions and do not disagree with me."

"I'm sorry Shadow, please, forgive me."

Sh- "Forgive you for what? It is your fault that you are in this state. Now wait here and do not move. I'll be back soon. Also, it is going to get worse, so save your complaints for then."

The bug stopped picking up conversation and started to pick up footsteps, walking closer to the bug. Rouge was in a state of shock as to what she had just heard. Shadow, her teammate for the past three years had a dark side more than what anyone had imagined. Torture wasn't what anyone would expect from him of all people. She heard the door click, this time due to her own ears picking up the sound. She hid the pad and the ear piece in her bag before the door sharply opened. Shadow walked out again, with a bloody rag in hand. Déjà vu. This time however, the blood wasn't dry; it was freshly drawn, almost dripping out of the rag.

Rouge had to get out of here, she wasn't safe and had to tell somebody about this, but that person in there, whoever it was couldn't be in any better of a situation than she was. Before she saves herself, she has to save the poor tortured soul trapped in that room.


	10. Chapter 10 - The truth

Chapter 10 - The truth

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Shadow walked into the kitchen again, searching through the cupboards to find something. Not wanting to know what, Rouge quickly jumped up and ran to the door at the end of the hall, examining the bolted door. It didn't seem like it would be hard to keep people out of here, a thin wooden door with most likely a shabby lock.

Sh- "Fucking bastard glass!"The sound of a glass smashing with Shadow's cursing shortly followed. Now was Rouge's chance while he was distracted.

Rouge prepared herself for the worst and kicked the door clean off of it's hinges. The hard training in the academy paid off it seems. Scanning the room quickly it was not what she had expected at all. A small bedroom, with a figure hiding under the sheets in a single bed. The room was spotless with no blood or rags anywhere. Rouge inspected the lump under the bed sheets further. This was whoever Shadow was talking to, and who needed Rouge's help before Shadow could notice.

Rouge walked over to the lump, and the person shuffled over to the other side of the bed near a bedside table.

R- "What do we have here..."

Pulling the covers off gently, a young white hedgehog, heavily bandaged was lying there, terrified of somebody else's presence in the room. Rouge walked around to the side of the bed where the hedgehog had moved to, while they remained cowering in fear.

"Who... Who are you?"

R- "Shh, I'm going to get you out of here."

A small smile crept upon the white hedgehogs face; did Shadow make them go insane? Still studying the room and its occupant, Rouge wasn't aware that the hedgehog was slowly reaching for the bedside table.

R- "What is it? Do you need something before we go?"

"You could say that..."

The hedgehog reached deep into the drawer, tightening their grip on something. In an instant, a small pistol was pointed in Rouge's face. The tables had turned and now she needed saving, but why was Shadow's captor doing this?

"Shadow! Any final words before you leave the quicker way?"

R- "Why?"

The confusion on Rouge's face was a suitable answer for the white hedgehog, gently placing a firm finger on the trigger, about to squeeze.

_BANG!_

Pulling the trigger at point blank range, aiming straight between the eyes, it should be a vital point. Yet Rouge remained standing, the shot had been fired, yet no blood was spilt. A small hole emerged in the concrete wall behind Rouge and a bit to the left of her. Rouge opened her eyes to see that the captor had missed for an unexpected reason. Shadow had pushed the hand to the side with moments to spare.

Rouge went through many stages in those few seconds, surprise, sadness, shock, surprise again, happiness, and then finally anger.

R- "What the hell is going on here?!"

"Shadow. You told me to show intruders no mercy, and then you stop me in my tracks, I was *this* clo-"

R- "Excuse me. Intruder?!"

Both the hedgehog and the bat had turned their heads to Shadow, still wincing off of his little accident earlier. He disarmed the hedgehog, taking the weapon and putting it back into the drawer, not before removing the magazine and switching the safety on.

Sh- "We need to talk; I guess there is no point hiding the truth anymore."


	11. Chapter 11 - Is this the real Shadow?

Chapter 11 - Is this the real Shadow?

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Sh- "Rouge... I...-"

R- "Shut up! I don't know what's going on in here exactly but I am taking this person and I am leaving!"

"Shadow why did you disarm me? Are we meant to let intruders walk around freely? Pass me the gun."

Sh- "Katie that won't be necessary, this is Rouge; she is my guest, like you. The circumstances have changed and she needed somewhere to stay."

"Katie..." Rouge thought. Not knowing the person was a girl due to the tightly wrapped bandages on almost every part of her skin.

R- "Oh I see now Shadow... No wonder you don't talk about your feelings, you have a "good slave" that you can tell your feelings to."

Sh- "Rouge, she's not like that. She's in a similar situation to you, except I found Katie bleeding half to death with stab wounds."

Rouge looked at the young girl, a Mobian, a white hedgehog, brutally beaten. She was amazed that Shadow knew how to help somebody.

The white hedgehog, Katie, lowered her guard, she could tell by Shadow's expression he wasn't keen on the idea of executing Rouge here and now. She could see that they had a past together, intrigued she asked Rouge how she knew Shadow.

R- "I've been his teammate for the past 3 years, on the side of both good and evil..."

K- "Evil...?" She turned to Shadow with a concerned look.

After a brief conversation about their past, Rouge asked Shadow how long Katie has been here, and how long to come.

Sh- "3 days, and until she has recovered."

R- "Do you like her?"

Sh -"?" Shadow didn't understand what Rouge meant with that last question, and shrugged it off, not making anything of it.


	12. Chapter 12 - Time to leave for a while

Chapter 12 - Time to leave for a while

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Shadow was a bit embarrassed with the situation, and the awkward questions coming from Rouge. He may be the ultimate life form, but when it comes to clothe shopping for other people, Big the cat could put on a better performance. He had gotten Katie some horrible threads, which looked like a manufacturer would pay to have it rid of.

Out of sympathy for Katie, and for Shadow's bad sense of fashion, Rouge offers to go and shop around for some clothes for the young hedgehog. Shadow allows it as he is still embarrassed about what he himself had went and bought. Rouge giggled at the thought of seeing that dress again that Shadow had acquired. The image kept surfacing in Rouge's mind of the white dress with large red polka dots, clearly far too large for Katie. Shadow sat down on his three piece couch, the design showing that he had a small inkling of taste for visual appearances. Rouge cleared her throat to get his attention as he turns to see her standing behind him.

Sh -"Still here?"

R- "If you think I'm going on foot in that weather you have another thing coming."

Sh- "Well try not to get your hopes up of taking the car, I have almost saved up enough to pay for it, the last thing it needs is repairs for damage caused by amateur driving."

Rouge took Shadow's last words as an insult to her driving capabilities as she caught a sparkle of light from Shadow's keys on the kitchen counter. Even the smallest sparkle in the brightest of rooms cannot escape the eyes of a treasure huntress of Rouge's status.

Rouge picked up the keys and threw them toward Shadow, who was busy watching the "news". Usually stories about trees falling over or something pathetic like that. With Sonic doing most of the hero work in the city, local broadcasts were usually just weather reports or the occasional interview with Sonic himself. Shadow being Shadow turns the TV off every time he hears the mentioning of his rival. The keys hit him on the side of his cheek, leaving a small scratch, beginning to swell up like he had been involved in a bar fight. He turned to

Rouge with a look in his eyes that sent a shiver down your spine if you dared come into contact with them. Rouge had seen this side of him many times and was at the phase where she didn't care what his facial expression was; she knew he wouldn't raise a fist to her.

Shadow knew what Rouge was implying and got off of the couch no questions asked.

Sh- "Katie, I am going out, call me if you need me." He shouted down the hall, to which a reply came.

K- "K!"

Shadow pointed to a door indicating that Rouge should go through it. Rouge hadn't been in this room yet, this room and Shadow's room, which was his and his alone. The room was pitch black, with a cord hanging down from the roof. Rouge pulled the cord and the room, which was quite large, lit up. She was amazed at the size of the room, which looked like it was made of marble, with small lights embedded in the floor and the roof. This was the garage, easily identified by the vehicles inhabiting this area. The first being Shadow's G.U.N bike on lease from work, few scratches on the paintwork but near enough spotless.

The next being a sporty shaped vehicle, hidden under a larger black cover, a rain guard... Indoors? The next was well... A bicycle? Why the hell does Shadow have a bicycle? Shadow entered the garage soon after. Not the happiest of looks on his face.


	13. Chapter 13 - Unnerved or uncertain?

Chapter 13 - Unnerved or uncertain?

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Shadow walked over to a large locker propped up against one of the walls, he unlocked it with his set of keys and opened the doors, revealing a collection of guns, enough firepower to take down a skyscraper. He browsed his selection and took out what seemed to be an easy choice for him. A platinum plated Desert Eagle .50 with a few magazines to go with it. Next to where Shadow took the ammunition from, a spare pair of his inhibitor rings were hanging on little hooks within the locker, this guy was ready for a full on war.

R- "Will that be necessary?"

Sh- "Remember the last time you asked me that?"

~Flashback~

Shadow and Rouge had been assigned a mission by G.U.N HQ to assassinate a high value target by any means necessary. Shadow took this information to heart, and it was practically chiselled in stone. Shadow and Rouge decided to meet on the roof of a building overlooking the target building, of which the HVT would be leaving very soon, 10 minutes to be precise. Shadow brought a bag which Rouge found very uncharacteristic of him. Usually Shadow would use his fists and a Chaos Emerald, two tops. He unzipped the bag and withdrew components of what looked to Rouge like a camera.

R- "We didn't come up here for the view ya' know."

Sh- "That is why I brought this."

Shadow withdrew more components, following the previous ones, which could now be identified as a high magnification scope, and a tripod. Rouge's jaw dropped as he took out the final part. A Barrett .50 calibre sniper rifle, suited up with heavy weight magazines, a foldable stock, and a flash reducing muzzle.

R- "Is that really necessary? It's only one guy and it shouldn't be too hard. Where the hell did you even get that?!"

Rouge watched Shadow as he picked up the killing machine with ease, she never knew that

Shadow had this much strength, but she liked it.

Sh- "This is the only chance that we will get and I certainly do not want to add my first failed mission into my portfolio... Do you?"

Rouge was in a world of her own, daydreaming about how much time they've spent together. Never failing a mission before, due to his drive for perfection. Shadow meanwhile was setting the rifle up on the edge of the rooftop, part after part was fitted, making use of everything he had.

Rouge was still daydreaming, however her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the tearing sound of the atmosphere as Shadow took the shot. She jumped at the roar of the barrel and looked to him to see why he had shot so early. Shadow began quickly dismantling the rifle and throwing it into his bag. Rouge looked over the edge of the roof to see a crowd gathering around the victim, the target had left early, and Shadow was fully aware of that possibility.

Sh- "Are you going to stand there all day?! Hurry up before we are seen!"

Shadow and Rouge quickly put all of the parts back into the bag, upon filling the bag, Rouge took hold of Shadow's hand. Shadow withdrew his Chaos Emerald from inside the bag, and induced a Chaos Control, quickly transporting them to the lobby of G.U.N HQ as they went to report the success of the mission to the commander.

~ End Flashback ~

Shadow walked up to the mysterious car that was covered with the rain guard, and swiftly removed the cover from the car. The lights were insignificant on this car, it's beautifully crafted carbon plating absorbed all of the light thrown at it. It could easily be seen that Shadow was head over heels for this car. Rouge walked to the back of it to examine the make and model. It was a jet-black Porsche 911, with small Crimson red stripes travelling across the panels of the door and bonnet. Inside the car was just as greatly designed as the outside, with black leather smothering the seats, gear stick and dashboard like it was a new fashion. Shadow interrupted Rouge's exploration of the car by playing a practical joke on her. He waited for Rouge to move to the front of the car, crouching down to inspect the licence plate "SH4D0W"

Shadow looked to his keys while he had the chance and pressed a small yellow button with a black trumpet on. He clicked the button in quickly, causing the car's horn to blare into Rouge's sensitive ears, being a bat and all, knocking her onto her backside. Shadow smirked and offered to help her up, in which she refused and slapped his hand away. They got into the car and Shadow used another button on his key to raise the garage door. He started the car and drove it out of the garage slowly, and pressed the same button on the key again causing the garage door to descend.


	14. Chapter 14 - The journey

Chapter 14 - The journey

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Shadow, still chuckling to himself about Rouge being shocked out of her shell, decided he wasn't done yet. He turned the corners aggressively, making sure he didn't hurt his beauty, the car of course. After a long journey the duo arrived at the mall, not the usual location they would arrive at when they have an objective, and Shadow was always on the offense, staring down anybody who dared look his way. They walked into a store within the mall labelled "Ted's Threads" and Rouge took Shadow to the section he should have visited the first time he came here. Shadow not knowing what to get, soon regretted agreeing to come out, he became in short a pack mule. Clothes were stacked high above his head obscuring his vision, walking into things left and right, cursing under his breath with every hit he took. Rouge took advantage of Shadow and piled some clothes that she herself wanted; it's not as if he would know anyway...

Later on at the checkout, they were greeted by a human cashier. The cashier called for assistance, as she herself would take a short while to scan all of the barcodes that Rouge had graciously picked out for Katie... And herself. When the cashier and her assistant were finished with the task, Shadow stepped up to the till, credit card in hand, about to put it into the machine. Cursing under his breath for a different reason this time he allowed the transaction to take place without causing chaos in the store. They left the store, Shadow carrying the majority of the bags, playing Rouge's game willingly, for now.


	15. Chapter 15 - Shop till Shadow drops

Chapter 15 - Shop till Shadow drops.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Rouge loved shopping. If she had a list of things she loved, shopping would be high up there, creeping just behind flirting with her friends of course. Shadow on the other hand, hated the activity. Nothing was shown but hatred towards it, he's had missions from G.U.N that have been more tolerable, and could have taken half the time. The huge clock tower in the centre of the mall struck 7pm, and Shadow was starting to show one of his most dangerous urges. Hunger. Shadow saw a couple eating in the food district, and he witnessed the male of the couple eating a steak. In awe, Shadow stared at the guy, jealous of him, whilst almost drooling and causing a flood. Rouge looked back to her comrade to see him staring at a human couple in the food court.

R- "You want me to go and get her number for you?" Rouge said winking at Shadow who took his eyes off of the steak to observe his comedian of a teammate.

Sh- "Get me a steak like that and I'll be happy without the number."

R- "Is that your way of asking a girl to dinner?"

Sh- "Take it how you want, I haven't eaten since our stop at the drive-thru."

Rouge rolled her eyes and followed Shadow to the stall serving the food that Shadow so desired. It was a small business, an indoor grill with a few tables, only three of the approximate ten were occupied as Shadow and Rouge walked up to the counter.

Chef - "How can I help you today sir and madam?"

Sh- "I'll have whatever that guy is having." Shadow hiked his thumb up pointing to the couple he saw earlier.

C- "Very well, one medium rare steak with vegetables, and for you de-"

Sh- "No vegetables..."

C- "My apologies, and for you dear?"

R- "Just put the vegetables on his plate and I'll have them, I'm not too hungry."

C- "No problem, that'll be $4.95 please."

Sh- "Cheap food and a quiet atmosphere, I could get used to this, beats the G.U.N cafeteria by a long shot."

They found a table while the meal was being prepared, not a hard task seeing as there isn't much business. Rouge was trying to catch Shadow's eye to maybe start a conversation with him, but he wouldn't give her the opportunity as he looked up into open space, thinking to himself as he does best.

A few minutes passed and the chef brought Shadow his order, placing it in the middle of the table, so they could share the plate. Shadow didn't catch on to his intentions and dragged the plate closer to him, preparing to dig in to his well deserved meal after a hard day's work, when Rouge interrupted him with a small question.

R- "Why don't you like vegetables?"

Sh- "They have no taste. I'd rather spend time with Sonic in a locked room chained to a post to stop me from murdering him."

Rouge giggled slightly as two figures approached the table.

"What was that Faker?"


	16. Chapter 16 - The lovable idiot

Chapter 16 - The lovable idiot.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

(A/N the chapters are starting to get a little bit longer from now on, remember, drop a review and I'll start to upload more regularly!)

Sh- "Ugh, what do you want imbecile?"

Sonic and Amy were on their way over to Shadow and Rouge, hearing Shadow's sly remark along the way.

A- "You shouldn't talk about people behind their backs Shadow..."

Sh- "People should not interrupt in other's private conversations, Pinky."

So- "Just leave him Ames, it's obviously his time of the month."

Amy, Rouge and Sonic started to laugh at that comment; Shadow however, looked as confused as a fish in a dishwasher.

Sh- "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

R- "Oh don't worry Shadz, I'll tell you when you're older."

This sent the trio into another fit of laughter, almost in the rolling around in stitches stage. Shadow by now had finished his steak and started throwing some vegetables that Rouge had left in Sonic's direction. Out of ammo, Shadow left his seat and simply walked away, knowing the others would be watching, he twirled his car keys around his finger, held slightly above his head.

Leaving Rouge and the shopping with the Faker and Pinky, he strolled out of the mall slowly to the car park. The trio caught up to Shadow by running, sharing the bags equally between them, and arrived at his car, almost out of breath.

R- "I've invited these two round for the night Shadow, is that okay?"

Sh- "What do you think? For starters, I do not have guests. Ever. Secondly, there is not enough room for accommodation. Thirdly, if I did allow guests, he would be the last person I would let into my home." He said, pointing at Sonic with a stare.

Sh- "And finally, I doubt it would make "you know who" very comfortable, would it Rouge?"

R- "It might be good for her to meet new people Shadow..."

So- "Hold up, did Shadow get a pet Chao? You can barely look after yourself never mind a pet!"

Sh- "SHE'S not a Chao, nor a pet, and I would prefer if you kept your nose out of my business, that is the second warning today. The third will be unforgettable."

A- "Shadow, you have a girlfriend?"

Shadow's rage began to surface, but he calmed himself down a little and got into his car, blushing slightly, but mostly enraged at the thought of him expressing his feelings to someone, disgusting.

Sh- "Get in or you will be walking home."

He looked at Rouge, who placed the shopping onto the passenger seat through the open window, leaving Shadow bewildered.

Someone had just shrugged off one of his threats like it was a white lie. It hurt him to have to carry his statement out, but he drove off slowly, leaving Rouge with the newcomers.

R- "Looks like I'll be hitching a ride with you guys then." Rouge said smiling, followed by one of her trademark winks.

Amy led the other two to her car, parked a few bays across from where Shadow had parked. A small pink convertible, with five seats, enough to carry the group, unlike Shadow's two seated sports car, which is enough to carry him and an unlucky passenger. Without request, Sonic got into the back of the car with their own shopping, mainly food supplies, followed by Rouge and Amy who sat in the front. Rouge gave directions to Amy while Sonic sat in the back, wondering what Shadow's girlfriend looked like.

So- "She must have problems if she's dealing with that..."

R- "Excuse me?"

So- "Not you Rougey, his girlfriend..."

R- "He doesn't have a girlfriend Sonic, that was a false assumption."

A- "So who is she, and why is she living with Shadow?"

R- "She's a Mobian, a white hedgehog by the name of Katie. Shadow found her badly wounded and has been taking care of her until she has fully recovered. Seems that she has picked up some of his traits unfortunately."

So- "Okay, who is she really? A slave? A maid? A long lost sister?"

R- "Sonic? Shut up. I was as surprised as you are, I didn't think Professor Gerald gave his projects a heart, but there we have it."

They arrived outside of Shadow's place, Amy and Sonic thinking Rouge was out of her mind, this place looked too nice to belong to somebody of Shadow's status. They parked up nicely and ascended the path quickly, before the weather took a turn for the worst, like the previous night.


	17. Chapter 17 - A warm welcome

Chapter 17 - A warm welcome

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

A knock could be heard coming from the front door, as Shadow was in the kitchen deciding what to have to eat, the steak at the mall not satisfying him enough.

Sh- "It is open."

Katie was in Shadow's living room, watching the news, Shadow's favourite programme, while she waited for Shadow to fix her something up.

The front door opened, and soon after closed, as Rouge walked past the kitchen, and dropped the bags outside of Katie's temporary room. Shadow didn't look up, until he heard and soon enough seen another two figures walk into the passageway, before they headed into the kitchen.

Sh- "I thought I said that there was not enough room."

So- "Oh give it a rest will ya? Rouge would like us to stay and we would like to ourselves, so you're outvoted."

Sh- "Rouge does not own this property though does she?"

A- "Shadow, how many bedrooms does this place have?"

Sh- "Fo-... Two, not as if it is any of your business..."

A- "And they're both on this floor?"

Sh- "Well I do not sleep in the basement if that's what you are implying, Pinky."

A- "Interesting... Care to tell us what is on the floor above us?"

Sh- "Err.. Just the attic, why?"

A- "An attic that has the same length as the ground floor, and windows?"

Rouge returned from dropping the bags off and using the bathroom at the end of the hall.

R- "So, what are we talking about?"

A- "Rouge, where did you sleep last night?"

R- "The couch... Why?"

Amy turns her head to Shadow.

A- "Oh really...? I'm guessing that hatch up there leads to the attic? Is that right?"

Sh- "Yes. You cannot go up there. It is not too stable, and it is quite dusty, honestly."

Amy walked over to the hatch that was embedded into the roof, and pulled the cord, slowly lowering a set of stairs, which were bigger than that which would usually appear from the roof. The room above them lit up with the pulling of the cord, revealing a clean room, which could be identified as a study, with two more rooms on either side of it. The trio of Amy, Rouge and Sonic ventured around the room, looking into each of the two rooms that were connected to the study, to find another two clean, unused bedrooms. One of the bedrooms however was filled with dirty clothes and towels, obviously being used as a workroom.

Rouge's face turned red as she marched back downstairs with Amy and Sonic quickly following. Rouge walked up to Shadow, who was now in the living room, overseeing what was on the television. Shadow felt a small tap on his shoulder, to which he turned around, and received a slap powerful enough to have turned him back around the other way.

R- "I could of had a pleasant night last night and you made me sleep on the couch?!"

Sh- "Technically... You did not ask if there were any other rooms that you could sleep in."

K- "I told you she would find out Shadow, you ought to give your friends more hospitality."

The four pairs of eyes all turned to see Katie, who until now remained silent, neither Amy nor Sonic acknowledging her existence.


	18. Chapter 18 - Painful, but it's the truth

Chapter 18 - Painful but it's the truth!

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Amy and Sonic looked at Shadow's No.1 resident, easily seeing how he was able to put up with her and vice versa. They shared near enough the same personality.

So- "So you must be..."

K- "Katie, You must be the Faker, and your friend must be Amy."

So- "How did you-?"

K- "Shadow has told me about you, some others too, however I had heard of you before I met Shadow, constantly on TV, the city's hero."

Shadow hearing his name walked closer to the centre of the room, near Katie who was sitting on what was Rouge's bed.

Sh- "Katie, you should go back to bed, let your wounds heal."

K- "Make me."

Amy, Rouge and Sonic took a few steps back from the pair, expecting something big to go down. Shadow simply shrugged it off and tried leaving the room before Rouge blocked his path.

R- "Get used to this room Shadow, because we're swapping beds."

So- "Katie... How the hell did you tame Shadow?"

K- "Simple really, just ignore his threats, just hope that they are hollow words."

A- "Erm... Sonic, don't take that advice. Maybe me and Rouge should, but not you."

So- "Oh come on, Shadow wouldn't hurt me, would ya Shadz?" Sonic gently punched the back of Shadow's left shoulder, expecting the beast to stay calm. Poking the beast with a stick will only provoke it.

_SNAP_

Half an hour later...

R- "I'll get some more ice..."

So- "Pleaseee, just make the pain stoppp."

Sh- "Quit crying moron. You brought it upon yourself."

A- "Nobody was expecting you to break his wrist!"

K- "In all honesty I thought it would be his entire arm."

Rouge walks back in with two small bags of ice, One for Sonic's wrist, and the other for Shadow's forehead, to stop him overreacting again.

R- "Here, try not to move it ok? And you... Try to apologise in some way that doesn't hurt your ego?"

Sh- "Apologise? What the hell for?"

R- "Never mind... I'm going to bed shortly so try and keep the noise down okay?" Rouge looked mainly at Sonic, another scream of pain like before and nobody on the whole street will be able to get to sleep.

A- "I'm gonna take the room that is clear upstairs, any objections?"

Knowing that was the only room left which had a bed, both Shadow and Sonic raised their arms, well, raised the arm that wasn't brutally handled earlier.

Sh- "As much as I hate to say it... The couch is mine. You can sleep on the floor, I really could not care where you slept."

Both Rouge and Amy left to go to their respected rooms, leaving Katie with the two BFF's.

So- "What if I went and hopped in with Rouge?"

Shadow gave a stern warning in the form of a stare to the blue hedgehog, to which Katie started to giggle.

Sh- "What humour did you see in that?"

K- "He got you there Shadow."

Sh- "Explain?"

K- "Take it like this, after Sonic's comment, you still haven't replied, meaning you either think that's a bad idea for Rouge's sake, or for yours."

Sh- "I could care less about what would make Rouge happy. It's a pointless emotion that tries to give you a taste of life without complications."

So- "You saying you don't have feelings for her?"

Sh- "If I don't have feelings for myself what makes you think that I have feelings for her?"

K- "Sonic's surprisingly right..."

So- "Hey!"

K- "Sorry, but if you didn't care about her, tell me, where is she sleeping, and why?"

Sh- "This conversation is over. Katie, rest. That's an order."

K- "Sorry "boss"."

Katie left the room leaving the two male hedgehogs to sort out sleeping arrangements. The living room only contained a coffee table, a one seat sofa, and a large three seat sofa, which Shadow had claimed.

So- "Can't we just take a half each?"

Sh- "If I feel you kicking me once you are going straight off. The only reason I will let you on is because I see it as a fitting "apology"."

So- "Got any more blankets and pillows then?"

Shadow directed him upstairs to the vacant room which was in quite a mess. Having to make a few trips due to limited access to only one hand; Sonic eventually gathered a thick blanket and two pillows. Sonic turned the light out as he entered the room for the final time, before heading to the side of the sofa that Shadow had so graciously given to him.

So- "Want to talk about it?" Sonic yawned, getting comfortable in his make shift bed.

Sh- "Talk about what? Our little disagreement earlier?"

So- "No, you and Rouge."

Sh- "What is there to talk about? We work together, and currently live together, that is all we have in common."

So- "Come on, man to man. Do you think it could work?"

Sh- "Like I said before, love, happiness... They are both pointless emotions, meaningless."

So- "And Maria? Were love and happiness meaningless when she was around? You have to try to move on, that's all that I can say to help you."

Sonic was treading into dangerous grounds, knowing this he stepped down the assault, letting his rival keep calm and take those words in.

Sh- "Let me get some rest. We shall talk tomorrow."

Shocked that Shadow actually wanted to talk to him, he didn't dare ruin this opportunity, and remained silent, looking up at the ceiling before dropping off to sleep. Shadow tried the same technique many times, fall asleep by trying to stay awake, but no luck ever came of it. It was a random occurrence if he did get to sleep quickly, luckily for him, it took him the best of half an hour to fall asleep.


	19. Chapter 19 - Working 9 til

Chapter 19 - Working 9 till...

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Waking up, one by one, the temporary residents in Shadow's home found their way to the kitchen. First Rouge, followed by Amy, then lastly Katie, as the other two were still asleep.

K- "Have a nice sleep Rouge?" Katie giggled a bit while Rouge simply stared back with a confused look on her face.

R- "Yeah I did actually, know something I don't?

K- "Many things, however only a few are relevant... And even fewer personal."

A- "I know I slept well for sure, the thought of going out in that weather made it feel even better to be in a warm comfy bed..."

R- "When did you call it a night K?"

K- "About 10 mins after you two, the three of us had an interesting conversation..."

R- "Was it an actual conversation or were you just picking on Sonic?"

K- "Of course not! We were picking on Shadow."

Sonic walked into the kitchen, in his state he would make a zombie look lively.

So- "Anyone making coffee?"

A- "Sure, as long as you stop bullying Shadow."

So- "Excuse me?"

A- "Katie just told us that you were teaming up on him last night."

S- "You realise how ridiculous that sounds, right? Look at my hand for crying out loud! We were actually talking about..." Sonic noticed Rouge in the kitchen looking in the cupboards searching for a morning snack. "Nothing... We weren't talking about anything."

A- "Hmm... Where is Shadow anyway?"

So- "Sleeping surprisingly. I thought that the "Ultimate Life-Form" doesn't need rest."

A- "He's probably hungry... We should at least make him breakfast, to say thanks for staying the night and all."

Amy, the only one who thought it was a good idea followed her idea through and got to work, while Katie and Sonic slowly crept into the living room, which contained the slumbering beast.

K- "Think we should tell her?"

So- "It won't be the same if we did it, he'll have to do it by himself."

A small ringing noise came from Shadow's bedroom, to which Rouge rushed out of the kitchen with some toast lodged in her mouth.

HQ- "Agent Rouge, we have a small mission that we need you to carry out. We can't get into contact with Agent Shadow and we need you to find him."

R- "Okay... Mission accomplished, what's next?"

HQ- "Tell him to check his phone, it contains the details of the mission. Thank you Agent Rouge, you are dismissed." Finishing her toast, she slumped out of Shadow's room with a miserable look on her face.

So- "What's up Rougey? Did a shoe shop close down or something?"

Giving an unnerving stare to Sonic, Rouge gave her reply.

R- "It was G.U.N. Shadow's phone is off so they want me to tell him to get off his ass and get to work."

So- "Isn't he off today? It's a Sunday, Omega has it covered."

R- "Apparently not, I don't know why I wasn't suitable for the mission but oh well."

So- "I wouldn't wake him up just yet... Let him rest, he needs it."

R- "Since when did you become sympathetic for him? He's heartless."

Sonic muttered under his breath, "If only you knew.", forgetting Rouge had excellent hearing.

R- "Knew what?"

So- "Nothing, I'm gonna go check on Amy."

It came to almost 11AM before Amy was finished with Shadow's breakfast, and everyone else's at that. The only difference with Shadow's was a few extra strips of bacon. The kitchen table was laid out for the five of them, two on either side and one at the top of the table, Amy chose the bottom right seat, Sonic the top right, Katie the seat by itself, and Rouge the bottom left, leaving a space for Shadow. About to dig in, a sudden noise erupted from the living room.

_THUD_

So- "I'll check it out."

Sonic walked through the kitchen door to see what had happened, to find Shadow lying on the floor, probably hitting the table on his way down.

So- "How is he still not awake after that?!"

Amy followed Sonic shortly after to see Shadow on the floor still holding the blankets, and Sonic for some reason having anger problems.

A- "What's the matter, why are you angry at that?"

So- "Because he is not normal! That would wake anyone up! He's unsociable, irrelevant and a complete burden!"

A- "Grow up and help me to get him to his feet."

Calming down, he got beside Amy and lifted Shadow to his feet, but sat him down straight away, as his feet would just give way.

A- "We'll just have to wake him, but how..?"

So- "Well dropping him off of a cliff wouldn't work."

A- "How about this..."

With their plan discussed, Sonic walked back into the kitchen, where Katie and Rouge were having a conversation, not taking notice of him.

R- "So, do you have any place to go when you are fixed up?"

K- "Well, I know a few people who might let me stay for a little bit, other than that, no definite possibilities."

Sonic walked back out of the kitchen, past the two gossip girls, and back into the living room, to find Amy trying to wake Shadow with violent rustling. Amy stood up upon Sonic's return, as he handed a glass to her. She threw the glass of water over Shadow's face, almost drowning the poor thing.

Sh- "Who... Dares... To awaken me." Slowly opening his eyes, looking towards the pair stood in front of him.

So- "Shadz, it's urgent, G.U.N called."

Sh- "Have I been fired?"

So- "No, they just need yo-"

Sh- "Then it is not urgent, remove yourself before I change my mind about letting you walk away freely."

A- "Shadow, I made breakfast, come and get some, turn your phone on, then get to work."

Sh- "What do you class as breakfast? A bowl of cereal no doubt."

A- "Bacon, eggs, beans, you know, THE breakfast."

Sh- "Very well, you are off the hook. You however... We still need a talk later." He said, pointing at a cowering Sonic.

The three of them walked into the kitchen, to join Katie and Rouge who were chatting and laughing with each other, which to Shadow, was not what he wanted. At all. He took his seat after Amy and Sonic took theirs, to find he was sitting between Katie and Rouge. Great. Slouching down in his chair, trying to eat without engaging in conversation, he turned his phone on, that he had left lying on the kitchen counter the previous night. A message from HQ relaying today's urgent mission popped up, making him feel so overjoyed that he has to go in to work to deal with something so small.

His first mission he accomplished quickly and efficiently, eating everything but the plate and cutlery, without having to talk to anybody. He left the table and headed straight out, not getting prepared, not saying goodbye. Too much was on his mind right now, and the last thing he needed was another thing to think about.


	20. Chapter 20 - Work, rest, then play?

Chapter 20 - Work, rest, and then play?

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Half an hour later...

The doors to G.U.N HQ opened, revealing a small crowd of agents and scientists alike, gathering around a spectacle within the building. Walking up to the security gates, he scanned his I.D and walked through the detector. Security walked up to him in a hurry, almost out of breath.

Guard- "Agent Shadow, thank heavens you've arrived, I'm sure you are aware of the situation."

Sh- "Indeed, take me to him."

The guard led one of the top agents in the organization to the crowd of people down the hall. Ordering them to step aside, the guard created a clear path for Shadow to walk, moving to the centre of what everybody was trying to get a look at.

Sh- "Get me some jump cables, and tell everyone to clear this room immediately."

Shadow saw a lifeless robot, still standing although it was deactivated. Omega must have overworked without recharging, or was shut down during a battle, hence the precaution of getting everybody to safety. The guard returned quickly with a cable, which Shadow accepted, resulting in the guard retreating back with his co-workers. Shadow had known Omega for years now, learning pretty much how to destroy and rebuild the robot, and was the only one who took the time to study this much of him. Going around to the back of the blank robot, Shadow opened a panel in the back of Omega, containing a small sort of disc tray, and a hole for a wire. He took out his green Chaos Emerald, slowly placing it into the slot and hooking it up to the best of his ability, to the cable, which he inserted into the small hole.

A small bar was displayed just below the hole and above the tray, indicating his current power level, which was currently at only 5%, a little more than enough to preserve recordings and data from previous battles and missions. After a few hours the bar was almost at full, in which to prevent an overcharge, he took the emerald out before it hit 100%. Two red robotic eyes lit up on the visor of the walking arsenal, as it scanned the surroundings, instantly acknowledging it was back at HQ, it holstered it's guns and ran some internal tests.

Sh- "Overworked you again Omega?"

O- "Affirmative. Rookies require more work than initially calculated."

Sh- "You know, unless you tell them you need to charge, you will not be able to work efficiently, and they have to drag me in here to fix you."

O- "Apologies, Agent Shadow. Advice stored in priorities list."

Sh- "Your system up to date?"

O- "Affirmative. Sunday, 3:52PM."

Sh- "Hmm, I should probably get back, I have some unwanted company back at mine."

O- "Would you like assistance in exterminating said disturbance?"

Sh- "Unless you want to be retired and thrown into the scrap heap, I would advise against it."

Shadow turned to leave before everyone returned to their allocated offices. Getting back on his motorcycle that was parked outside he thought it best not to return home straight away, and drove to the meadows, to have his own personal quiet time.

Upon arriving at a small field of grass, he set out on foot to a small spread out forest, and sat down against a tall oak tree, and stared into the sky. It was coming up almost 5PM, and the sun was already setting, revealing a starry night sky, due to the lack of light pollution in this area. It was peaceful, how he wanted it to be like forever, until a small vibration could be heard. Checking his phone, a text had came through from an unknown number, which read...

"What time are you coming back?" ~S~

Ignoring the question completely, he replied with "Who gave you this number?"

"The only other person that has it besides G.U.N. So what time?"

Annoyed at Rouge for giving his number to Sonic of all people, he replied with "2 Hours.", long enough to have a much needed rest, on the slightly damp grass. He wishes he could rest anyway, what is the purpose of his existence? That was the thought that surfaced the most. His phone vibrated, snapping out of his trance he looked down at his phone, it was already 6:30PM, he needed to get back, first of all, reading the message he had just received.

"About that talk, we'll talk late at night like last time, just when you get back, don't get involved. ~S~"

Walking back to his bike, the heavens started to erupt, booming in the sky above him, it was about to start raining. He had roughly 10 minutes to do what would usually be a 15 minute drive. Then again... Why risk it? He got onto the bike, and withdrew his green Chaos Emerald.

"Chaos... Control."

In a small flash of light, he reappeared outside of his house to see his home engulfed in darkness, not one light could be seen through any of the windows. He slowly drove up the drive, using his keys; he opened the garage door, the only room which upon entry lit up. Turning off the ignition, he wondered where everyone had got to; did they go out without telling him? He got up off of the bike and walked towards the door connecting the garage and the main hall. Pulling the handle all the way down, he opened the door, what awaited him on the other side left him shocked...

Speechless...


	21. Chapter 21 - The 5 unbreakable rules

Chapter 21- The 5 unbreakable rules.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

(A/N - Early chapter, uploading more regularly until I hit the 2K+ chaps, enjoy)

Shadow tried his hardest not to believe the sight in front of him, but to his horror, it was real. The lights were off for a reason, no sign of anybody living here for a reason. The lights flicked on, with everyone crowded around the living room, drinks in hands.

"Surprise!"

Sh- "What the..."

A- "We thought we'd have a late night party for you Shadow! We got drinks, snacks, some entertainment."

Sh- "Who's idea was this?!"

Everybody in the room looked toward Rouge, who in turn looked up at the ceiling, pretending not to know what was going on.

Sonic was the only one without a drink of some sort, he was really serious about not getting involved in it, but a pre-warning of a party wouldn't have gone a miss. This was Shadow's nightmare, trapped in a building with drunken associates, who instead of fearing him, became fear themselves.

Sh- "Where did all of this come from anyway?"

R- "Half from your kitchen, half from the mall. Chill Shadz, why did you get pulled into HQ anyway?"

Sh- "Omega was overworked; short circuited and needed a reboot. Nothing big, just time consuming."

R- "Makes sense, you're the only one who can make solid communication with him anyway, it's like you are both machines."

Sh- "At least he obeys my orders."

R- "What's that supposed to mean hmm?" Shadow could literally smell the alcohol in her breath from about four foot away, seems the party started before he even arrived.

Sh- "Well, in the two days that you have been here, it would seem you have already broken all of the five rules that I have set."

R- "Rules are meant to be broken hun, and besides, I'm just a naughty girl aren't I?"

Sh- "You have had too much to drink, that is obvious."

Sonic came over to them sensing something was about to happen, and led Rouge away to go and talk to the other girls.

So- "You owe me for that one."

Sh- "I had it covered Faker."

So- "I thought I told you not to get involved, yet you are drinking yourself."

Sh- "After the day I've had, I think it is best if I try and drink to forget. I feel as though I have had a concussion at the back of my head or something, had the same feeling all day."

So- "Hmm, the same feeling you would probably get from rolling off of the couch, hitting the coffee table and landing on the floor? Hmm, I wonder what it could be."

Sh- "Oh..."

Around two hours had passed since Shadow arrived, and the party was beyond its prime. Most of the drinks and food had been consumed, and the entertainment, which consisted mainly of rounds of shots and eating challenges, which wasn't very inventive of the girls. A few more glasses of select alcohol down, Shadow took a break and headed for the same couch in which he would probably be sleeping on again tonight. Getting under the covers to savour the warmth, he looked up at the clock mounted on the wall.

Sh- "It's 10 already? Where does the time go..."

So- "Probably the same place that my advice which I give you goes to."

Sonic sat down beside Shadow, who was roughly one more drink from being wasted, while Sonic just stuck to staying sober for the night.

Rouge and Katie called it a night about 30 minutes earlier, as they could barely stand up straight, which Sonic thought was extremely beneficial for Katie's recovering state. Sonic had just returned from taking Amy upstairs to her room, who somehow had gotten a little lost and couldn't remember her way.

Shadow was eyeing a bottle of red wine on the table with two unused glasses beside it. Pulling them towards him, he opened the almost full bottle, pouring two glasses full. This was an unusual act of acknowledgement towards Sonic, which he didn't want to deny, so he promised himself that he would just have one glass and stop at that.

So- "Would you like to have that talk now, while we're alone?"

Sh- "Why not? It'll not make any difference to anything, but if it gets you off my back then go ahead. Where do you want to start?"

So- "Maria. She is both the starting point, and the ending point. I think she is the reason you are like this bud."

Sh- "Maria is gone. With her everything that I once knew of positivity. And do not call me bud; I am an associate, nothing more."

So- "And you think this is how she would want you to live? Acting as if there is no future without her? No, she would have wanted you to be happy. You have to respect what she would have wanted."

Sh- "She could barely respect what I wanted, is that fair to you?"

So- "What was it that you wanted?"

Sh- "The ability to let her see this planet from within the atmosphere, not within the ARK. She died before I was able to show her, and I can't forgive her or myself for it."

So- "You need to move on from that and focus on us, your friends. Take Katie for example, what do you think of her?"

Sh- "Helpless, needs care, weak."

So- "Do you not feel good that you potentially saved someone's life? Even a little?"

Sh- "No. I simply delayed what is inevitable."

So- "There's just no getting through to you... Next you'll be slitting your wrists."

Sh- "Don't worry, I tried that before, and life clung to me like a disease. Rouge was there to stop death in his tracks. She was sad that I would try such a thing, I was angry that she kept me living in this pathetic world."

Sonic knew that Shadow would never open up about anything, which was one of the reasons why G.U.N chose him as one of their few top agents. Although highly unlikely, if he was captured, he would never talk. Pouring glass after glass, it was clear he wasn't doing it for the celebration. Something was bugging him. Sonic thought if he didn't ask for his help, then why try to help him in the first place?

So- "Well, keep it down, I'm gonna try and get some rest, although your drunk personality may prevent that from happening..."

Shadow mumbled something that was inaudible, after setting his final glass down, bottle empty.

So- "What was that? Speak up."

He mumbled the same noise again, a little bit easier to understand but still not perfect.

So- "Seriously, speak up, I don't have Rouge's ears you know."

Sh- "I... I'm scared."

So- "Well now I've heard everything, like you would be scared of anything..."

Sh- "I'm scared... Of getting close to people, and having the fear of losing them. Like before."

So- "And that's the reason you talk to nobody?"

Sh- "Yes.."

Shadow passed out after the last utterance, either he was too drunk or he had collapsed from embarrassment. Sonic however was surprised that Shadow's fear was that simple. Getting up just a minute after he had sat down himself, he laid Shadow down, making him more comfortable, and then moved the coffee table a few feet away from the couch. Nobody wanted a repeat of what happened that morning.


	22. Chapter 22 - Waking up, breaking out

Chapter 22- Waking up, breaking out.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Morning arrived the next day, birds tweeting, a soft wind blowing, and a fully rested Sonic yawned before getting up to stretch. Amidst the usual morning sounds, there was one which wasn't too pleasant, a loud snore coming from the lonely ebony hedgehog.

So- "Looks like I've got a bit of time before those four recover..." Sonic thought to himself, about to leave the house for a bit for a walk. What stopped him was a small envelope that was lying on the door mat. "Must be Shadow's. Isn't it a little early for letters to be delivered anyway?"

Sonic shrugged off his thoughts, before returning to the living room, placing the letter on the table and leaving the house. Sonic hadn't seen Tails or Knuckles for a few days, since he's been living away from home for a couple of days. Two calls later a small reunion was planned, and they were to meet at a nearby café.

So- "Long time no see little bud."

Ta- "It's only been three days..."

Kn- "Where've you been anyway?"

So- "Crashing at Shadow's place, what's it to you knucklehead?"

Kn- "What, Amy kicked you out already?"

Ta- "What happened to your hand?"

So- "Just a misjudgement, that's all. And no Knux, I was not kicked out. Anyway what's been happening with you two?"

Kn- "Well, I've been doing the usual guardian work, not quite sure what Ta-"

Sonic's phone began vibrating on the table, Amy was calling, but he let it go to voicemail.

So- "Sorry about that, continue."

The phone began to vibrate again, this time only twice, as a text was sent this time.

Ta- "Maybe you should take that..."

Sonic looked down at the phone, Amy sent a text following the call which read; "Get back home ASAP, urgent."

So- "Ugh... Amy wants me back at Shadz' place, you guys comin'?"

Ta- "I've got no plans, why not?"

The three walked back to Shadow's house, which was relatively close to the café. Like everyone else, Tails and Knuckles believed Sonic was mistaken with who this house belonged to. Walking up the small path they approached the door in which Sonic turned the handle, but it was locked.

Kn- "Are you sure this is the right house? You said that when you left, you didn't lock the door."

So- "I didn't..."

Ta- "If I'm honest, It would be quite like Shadow to lock his door and never leave."

A chain could be heard on the other side of the door, and then the sound of the lock mechanism unwinding. Sonic tried the door again, this time it was open. He slowly pushed the door open, revealing a long dark hallway. Looking around at the others, he stepped in first, shuffling slowly past the open door. Sonic was the only one progressing onwards while the others just stood there with a blank expression. Sonic felt something cold press against his temple.

"Identify yourself. Now."

So- "Chill it's just me!"

A light turned on, showing two heads peering around the end of the hall, and Shadow, who slowly lowered his arm, containing an unfriendly firearm.

So- "What the hell is going on?"

Sh- "Who is with you?"

So-"Just Knuckles and Tails, why? What's happened?"

Rouge and Amy appeared from down the hall, both with scared expressions on their faces.

So- "Where is Katie?"

Sh- "That is what we want to know. Here."

Shadow passed the letter that Sonic had retrieved the same morning, it was now obvious what had happened, she had either left, or she had been taken. The letter read;

"You have no idea what trouble you put me through. Usually anybody who sees my dark side will face consequences. Since you fixed it up, you will be forgiven. Go anywhere near it again, and blood will be spilt."

So- "What are they talking about?"

R- "Katie. Whoever this is, they believe they own Katie, I'm going to take it to work and get some tests done."

So- "Why? Let it go, you read what it said, if we intervene, someone is going to get hurt."

A- "Sonic!"

Sh- "We know, and it's going to be them."

So- "Shadow, we had a chat last night, and although you don't want to admit it, I know what is going through your mind. Don't make that bond, don't risk it."

Sh- "She was left barely alive when I found her, and I doubt what had happened to her was an accident. Katie is not safe either way, it is best if we at least try to help her."

R- "Surprisingly, Shadow is right for once. Like I said before, with or without you, I'm getting these tests done and we're giving it a shot.

Sh- "Are you in?"

So- "Sure but in this state what use could I be?"

R- "Go digging around downtown, find out whatever you can, however you can."

Rouge was leaving the room, ready to set off, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her from proceeding to the front door.

Sh- "You think it is safe to simply go there by yourself?"

R- "Hold on a second, you care about somebody risking their life? After trying to take your own life just months ago? Oh you hypocritical bas-"

Sh- "End of discussion, get in the car and wait for me there. The rest of you, do not go anywhere by yourself."

Rouge walked to the door connecting the house to the garage, and got in the majestic Porsche. Shadow shortly followed, climbing into the driver's seat, closing the door behind him.

Sh- "Ready?"

R- "Whenever you are." Rouge nodded, as Shadow followed the usual procedure of opening the garage door before igniting the engine. As the garage door lifted, the white room was blinded by sunlight. Shadow couldn't see as he slowly drove out of the garage, then closed the door behind him.

Sh- "This could get quite dangerous, Rouge, can you look in the side compartment please, take out what you find and give it to me."

R- "Let me guess, an expensive pistol... A chaos emerald... Or maybe a device strong enough to kill someone without even trying?"

Sh- "You are probably quite close with that last one..."

Rouge felt only one item in the small storage area, and lifted it out, without looking handed it to Shadow. They hadn't even moved out of the driveway yet, as Shadow was waiting on the item that Rouge had just given him.

Sh- "There, much better."

R- "Sunglasses? Really?! I thought you said they could kill someone?

Sh- "Without them, in this light more than one person would most likely suffer."

Rouge scoffed and rested her head against the leather head rest, accidentally kicking some of the interior while in her own thoughts.

R- "I'm sorry; I'll pay for it if I damaged it..."

Sh- "Are you okay?"

R- "Me? What about your precious car?"

Shadow didn't answer the last question, unknowingly, he was changing. "I really need to live on my own again..." He thought.

"Do you really though?" His conscience had responded to his previous thought. His mind had split and began arguing, two halves battling for supremacy.

"I'm becoming like them... Becoming weak."

"Exactly, you are starting to value life. You are learning the meaning of mortality. This is what Maria wanted for you."

"Maria wants vengeance. That's the only reason I'm still here, once I believe that wish is fulfilled, I'll be leaving this place forever."

"And what happened last time you tried that? You failed. If you try it again, there will be more people than just Rouge to stop you."

"If she tries to stop me again, I'll take her with me."

"And destroy somebody else's life? No. I wouldn't allow myself to attack Rouge."

Rouge looked over at Shadow to see him holding his head in pain, his face grimacing.

R- "Shadow, are you okay?"

Sh- "Ever had guilt tearing away at you, yet something else within you repair whatever was torn away?"

(Rouge's POV)

Did he just admit to having emotions? Something is up with him and it can't be good... Maybe he is having second thoughts about this, that or he's blaming himself for what happened...

"Shadow, it wasn't your fault that she was taken, you did the right thing."

I doubt he'll pour out all of his bottled emotions at a small sign of sympathy.

I need a stronger weapon to break this one...

Sh- "That's not what is troubling me. Just... Dark thoughts."

Is.. Is he crying? As if. Grieving about something, but the day this one sheds a tear is the day Sonic is given a sledgehammer, this car, and twenty minutes in an open space with it. Still... If he keeps acting like this, I'm gonna start getting worried about him. Well, more worried I guess, he's already a walking disaster. Speaking of a disaster, I hardly got any sleep at all last night... Maybe I'll just rest my eyes for a minute or two.

(Narrative POV)

Sh- "Rouge, we have arrived. Rouge?"

R- "Just... Two more minutes."

Sh- "Don't make me do this the hard way..."

No response. Shadow unfastened Rouge's seatbelt, then got out of the car and walked around to the passenger's side. Opening the door, Rouge was still fast asleep.

Sh- "This is going to kill me... I just hope nobody notices..." He muttered to himself.

Shadow gently picked Rouge up, and carried her bridal style into the entrance of G.U.N HQ. Upon entering he walked to the same detectors that he passed through yesterday and started scanning himself in, which took some time due to the heavy burden upon him. Security wasn't paying too much attention, as it had been quite a quiet day now that Omega was back and fully operational. Only one security guard looked up and questioned the struggling hedgehog.

G- "Need help getting to the hospital wing? I didn't know you two had any assignments today."

Sh- "We didn't, she fell asleep on the journey."

G- "Ah, I see. Need anything doing then I suppose? Getting quite boring here, one of these days Omega is going to render my job useless."

Sh- "There is one thing..." Shadow withdrew the letter and handed it to the guard. "Get this down to the labs and request a full analysis. Tell them it has a lead on a kidnapping and potential assault."

G- "No problem sir, I'll go right away."

Sh- "Much appreciated, if they refuse just tell them that I'm the one requesting it. That will motivate them. Page me with any updates."

G- "Understood."

Sh- "Now where...?"


	23. Chapter 23 - Whatever lies ahead

Chapter 23- Whatever lies ahead.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Shadow peered down at the slumbering Rouge in his arms. He never thought it would come to this, physical contact with anybody, unless they were engaged in combat.

(Shadow's POV)

Look at me. Pathetic. What is stopping me from dropping her and walking off? Nothing. So why have I not done it already... Great. She's waking up. Now I have to explain why I am looking out for her. I'm going to make this less painful for myself. After this mission, just one last mission. Then I'm leaving for good. No exceptions. And this one will not stop me.

(Narrative POV)

Rouge was waking up, to see Shadow's crimson eyes looking down at her.

R- "How many more dreams am I going to have like this... It's getting beyond belief."

Sh- "Rouge, you are not dreaming. We are at G.U.N HQ, I've given them the letter, now we just have to wait for the results."

Rouge started to blush, realising what she had just said. Luckily Shadow hadn't caught on, unless he had but he was hiding his expressions, which he was bloody good at.

R- "I need to wake up... Fancy getting something to drink?"

Sh- "Depends, Do you want to walk there yourself or am I going to carry you there?"

Rouge blushed further; now realising she wasn't lying down on a chair, but in Shadow's arms.

R- "I'll walk if you don't mind."

Sh- "Very well."

R- "Can you put me down then?"

Sh- "Yes, sorry."

After finally carrying only his own weight, Shadow and Rouge walked to a small coffee stand within the office, which looked like an outdoor Starbucks, but indoors.

R- "What do you want?"

Sh- "Whatever you are getting, I don't mind." Shadow went and sat down at a vacant table, to be alone with his thoughts again, if only for a short while. His mind was in an endless battle between misery and pity; one would have to win soon.

Rouge brought two cups of black coffee to the table, setting one beside Shadow and keeping one for herself.

Sh- "Ever wondered what you want to do after this? Being an agent I mean."

R- "Well, I don't really need to do anything at all; I'm just doing this to live legitimately." Rouge was surprised that Shadow would initiate and engage in a conversation.

"He really has changed recently." She thought.

R- "What about you hmm? I bet you just want a nice quiet place away from it all don'tcha?"

Sh- "After this? I doubt there will be a choice for me in the future. It can only get worse for me."

R- "As if... Nice car, nice house, well paid job, people would kill for that life you know?"

Sh- "Well, when I'm gone those people can take whatever is left."

R- "What is that supposed to mean?"

Shadow's pager started to beep.

R- "Are they done already?"

Sh- "Just security informing me of the delivery, it shouldn't take too long."

R- "I wonder how Katie is doing..."

Sh- "She will be doing a lot better now than her captors in a short while, I know that much."

Shadow finished his coffee, throwing the empty plastic cup into a nearby bin.

Sh- "That was horrible. You have some major issues in taste. Perfectly explains you and that brainless echidna."

R- "We've been over this way too many times! I don't like him!" Rouge soon after finished hers and dropped her own cup into the same bin.

Sh- "Honestly, I couldn't care less. Let us go, I hate being in this place unless it is essential. We shall return later when they have finished."

R- "Any place in particular you want to go to?"

Sh- "Not really, anywhere but here."

Rouge smirked. "I have somewhere in mind, come on, I'll show you."

Sh- "How far is it?"

R- "About a twenty minute walk, not too far for you is it grandpa?"

Sh- "Not at all, but when we get there I want to make sure we can return quickly, here." Shadow tossed his keys to Rouge who was walking alongside him as they were leaving the building.

R- "You're trusting me to drive? I thought that car was your most precious belonging?"

Sh- "Belongings like that can be replaced or removed, I have things more precious to me that will never leave and stay the same, always."

R- "Memories hmm? Nice riddle Shadz, next time be more cryptic."

Sh- "Such confidence. Are you sure that is the right answer?" Shadow himself parted his lips, and smirked... Rare occasions like this don't come around too often.

R- "I don't mind you driving you know? It's just that I'm not too confident yet, and with your car the pressure only doubles."

Sh- "You will do fine, be nice to her and she will serve her purpose."

Rouge hesitantly got into the driver's seat, while Shadow got into an unfamiliar seat on the opposite side of the car. After closing both doors and fitting the seatbelts, Shadow was ready for Rouge to start driving, but there was no movement at all.

R- "Where do I...?"

Sh- "Oh, sorry. Just underneath the steering wheel, found it?"

Rouge fit the key into the ignition and started the car. The engine roared and Rouge looked quite nervous, only recently passing her test and not given access to a company car, despite her few years of service.

Sh- "Don't be nervous. You'll be fine."

Rouge slowly found the right gear and drove steadily out of the car park.

Sh- "This place you are taking us, do you come often?"

R- "Occasionally, only when the time is right."

About 10 minutes of slow driving later, Rouge pulled into a small gravel car park, surrounded by fields, and a small footpath leading away from the car park.

R- "Been here before?"

Sh- "Skated past here once or twice but never stopped to notice it. Why? Did I miss something that I should see?"

R- "Would I bring you here if you didn't? Come on, there isn't much time left."

Rouge, much more confident with driving now, as she managed to stay on the road and not hit anybody, left the car first with Shadow slowly following. After locking the car Rouge grabbed Shadow's hand and dragged him quickly along the footpath leading away from the car park. Shadow didn't like where this was going, even worse he was filled with anger towards Katie's captors. Rouge slowed down and veered off from the footpath, into long grass, and then suddenly she stopped.

R- "Beautiful, don't you think?"

Shadow looked up from the ground, to see that there wasn't much ground left to walk on, they were stood on the peak of a cliff, overlooking a slim beach and the calm tides.

Sh- "Not my usual relaxation spot, but I guess it isn't too bad."

R- "Come on."

Rouge walked to the edge of the cliff, and sat down, letting her legs dangle off of the side. The weather had cleared up since the previous days, making the grass give off a warm aura. The sun was slowly falling in the sky, setting on the horizon over the ocean.

Sh- "So..." Shadow sat down beside Rouge, and looked out to the ocean. "This is why we had to rush. You like sunsets I'm guessing?"

R- "Who doesn't? This is the best place for them."

Sh- "Aboard the ARK, There never was a sunset, only a partial eclipse. I imagine this is one of the things Maria would have wanted to see..."

R- I'm sorry; we can leave if this is upsetting."

Sh- "No, I'm fine, I have to face it and forget it."

R- "What did you mean earlier? When you said it will only get worse for you? And "when you're gone"."

Sh- "You know the answer to that Rouge. You prevented it before, but nothing has changed since then. There is no future for me."

R- "Shadow... You don't mean..."

Sh- "Yes."

Rouge looked down at her feet; nothing she could say would change his mind. Tears began to build up in her eyes.

R- "You're a selfish bastard. Why can't you see it yet..."

Shadow looked at Rouge, instantly catching the foreign substance in Rouge's eyes.

Sh- "What can't I see? Currently, I see someone who hates crying, yet you are going against your own will right before my eyes, weakness. Besides, it is beyond my control."

R- "Shadow... Don't do it, please. We need you, I need you."

Sh- "Why is that? I am but a weapon in this world, I only cause pain. Never once has my existence benefitted anyone but those who use me."

R- "Why do you think I brought you here? Why do you think I live by myself? Why am I content with the team I am in? Why did I ask you for shelter? I understand what your most prized possession is now. Not memories, but also a creation of the mind."

Sh- "And that is?"

R- "You understand happiness, joy, excitement... Love."

Shadow turned to Rouge again, this time, she was also returning the glare.

Sh- "How long did it take to figure out?"

R- "Well... Sonic contributed a bit. He's changed you, we all have."

Sh- "That. That is why I must do it. I've became weak. I have things to lose now. I've lost."

R- "Who have you lost to hmm? If anything, you've changed for good. You may hate me for it, but you are a good person."

Sh- "I don't know... I can't go back on it; it is something I have to-"

R- "Please, don't do it. For me."

The sun had almost set and the sky began to darken, from a bright blue sky, to a light yellow then changing into a shade of pink, the perfect sunset. The two agents hadn't moved for the longest moment. Shadow's war within his mind continued ferociously, but one side was winning, it had an advantage that the other couldn't extinguish.

Shadow was unaware of everything happening around him. When he regained focus, Rouge had moved closer to him, her hand on his.

R- "Please. Don't make me regret this."

Rouge moved in for the kill, and was about to steal a kiss, Shadow's first, since the ARK, but this one had a different meaning. Shadow himself moved slightly closer, not knowing that this was what he wanted all along. The sun was an inch above the horizon, and the two were an inch apart. The sun had conquered the extra inch, but the two acquaintances were interrupted, by the unholy sound of Shadow's pager. Snapping back to reality, they both retreated to the original distance, both blushing before Shadow checked his pager.

Sh- "It's ready, we should go."

R- "Yeah..."

Sh- "I'll drive; I want to make much more progress on this before the night is out."

Rouge shakily handed Shadow the keys, she was wounded inside. Her one shot, and it was gone. They didn't talk for the whole journey back to HQ, nor looked at each other. Upon re-entering, the same guard walked up to Shadow after he scanned himself in.

G- "Sir, follow me and I'll escort you to the labs."

Sh- "Thank you."

G- "You okay? You look a bit disappointed."

Sh- "It's nothing. Please, continue."

The trio walked to the labs located under the lobby of HQ, the guard showing them the room then waiting outside of the door, to ensure the secrecy of the disclosed information.

Sh- "What are we looking for then... People with a background of assault, slavery, and most likely decent wealth."

R- "Need my help with anything?"

Sh- "Erm.. If you want to, just double check the ones I've looked through."

Almost an hour of browsing through profiles and records, no possible leads were apparent, and it started to seem unlikely that they would find this guy.

R- "Shadow, how about this one..."


	24. Chapter 24 - Verdict? Guilty as charged

Chapter 24 - Verdict? Guilty as charged.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Shadow wheeled himself over to the computer which Rouge was working at. The guy checked out perfect. Charges of assault, slavery, bailed every time he was sentenced, corruption at its finest.

Sh- "Should we check it out?"

R- "I'm going to run some of my own checks on him first, find out about the victims in these cases."

Sh- "Good, I'm gonna go and get a drink, you want one?"

R- "Sure, just don't take too long."

Shadow left the room, still feeling uneasy around Rouge with what had almost happened earlier. He checked his phone for the time, but something else caught his eye. A message which was received twenty minutes ago, sent from no other but his rival.

"A guy said he knows Katie, and gave me the name of the guy who she is with, but

no location."

Shadow recognised the name from the file that Rouge was currently digging into. They had found the right guy, now they just need to know his whereabouts. Rouge was only working at half pace, mind crowded with thoughts and questions. Fear, of the guy that was holding Katie prisoner, also anger at him for doing so. Sadness, after hearing that Shadow wanted to end his life, but happiness after she had convinced him not to.

She didn't need this right now, but who would? Rouge had found this guy's current house he lives in, car he drives, almost down to what he had for breakfast this morning. It took her about ten minutes after Shadow had left to note down the important stuff that was vital information for this mission. Now that her task was complete, the thoughts had taken over her mind. Annoyed with herself, she simply let her head drop and hit the table, and it looked like it hurt.

Sh- "You okay?"

R- "No, I'm an idiot."

Sh- "Why? Not the guy we are after?"

R- "Not that, the information is solid. Just what I tried earlier, like me of all people would be able to change you."

Sh- "We'll talk about that later, now what have you got on him?"

R- "House number, car details, and a hell of a lot of history."

Sh- "What do you mean?"

R- "Countless murders, possession of a firearm, kidnapping, rape, extortion."

Sh- "So someone who needs severe judgement. He'll be through by the end of the night. Also, here, black coffee, you like those right?"

R- "Yes, thanks..."

Sh- "Let's go, we need to inform the others."

Rouge stood up, and followed Shadow to the door. As Shadow left the room he held the door open for Rouge, who smiled and walked ahead, leaving Shadow behind as he spoke to the same guard from earlier.

Sh- "We're finished now; you can lock up and take the rest of the night off, as thanks."

G- "Thank you sir. Good night and good luck with your mission."

Sh- "It's not me that you need to wish luck to."

Shadow caught up with Rouge, who was already in the car park, looking up at the newly formed night sky.

Sh- "What's up?"

R- "Oh nothing, just trying not to prepare myself for a warm greeting later."

Sh- "You don't have to come along. His letter clearly targeted me and nobody else. His vendetta lies with me."

R- "I didn't say that I don't want to see him pay for what he did."

Sh- "That should be reconsidered."

The two walked together to the lonely car a few bays away from the main entrance. Upon getting in the car, Rouge looked nervous, very nervous.

Sh- "Rouge, stay at home when we get back. Okay?"

R- "Why should I? I have every right to come along, and I'm the only other person with training intense enough to take this guy."

Sh- "You're also scared, which is why you need to stay."

Shadow slowly drove off, heading home while still trying to settle Rouge into staying back while he dealt with this problem.

R- "It's not him that I'm scared of."

Sh- "Then what?"

R- "It doesn't matter, but I'm coming with you, please don't try to stop me."

Sh- "Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you."

A silent 10 minutes had passed and they had arrived just outside of Shadow's house. The garage opened and as usual, the bright room illuminated the atmosphere outside, as Shadow slowly drove in. After locking up, the two walked through the door linking the garage and the house, to be greeted by the same four who were there as they had left.

So- "Are we ready then?"

Sh- "No. You, Pinky and Tails are staying here. Rouge, the echidna and I are going to settle this."

So- "That's hardly fair. It's your fault that I am in this state anyway!"

Sh- "That is the reason you are staying. The other two however, will most likely not be able to sleep for the next few weeks if they bear witness to this."

Ta- "I'm okay with staying."

Kn- "I'll come providing you actually use my name rather than referring to my heritage."

A- "Please be careful, all of you."

Sh- "We'll return before midnight. Although if we are not back by then, be prepared to leave, inform G.U.N, then get as far away from here as possible, understand?"

The three chosen to stay behind all nodded simultaneously, as Shadow headed for the door, followed by Knuckles, then Rouge.

Kn- "I hope you know what you are doing."

Sh- "Trust me. Not even I know how this is going to go down."

Kn- "Ha! Are you scared?"

Sh- "For one reason, but not for my sake, so look at it however you want."

Shadow decided that they are walking to their destination, it wasn't too far, and it would give them time to come up with a plan of action.


	25. Chapter 25 - No chance of redemption

Chapter 25- No chance of redemption.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

R- "When we get there, we'll start a timed recon, and try to visualise the building layout before breaching."

Knuckles just looked at the two confused, noticing Shadow remained as calm as he ever was.

Sh- "She means we are going to look at the building for a few minutes, find an entrance and then knock it down. Moron..."

Rouge laughed at that remark from Shadow, while Knuckles was almost jumping off his mark to start a fight.

Sh- "This is the street. Five buildings down on the right. Rouge, take the roof." Shadow turned to look at Knuckles. "You. With me. Don't get in my way."

Rouge flew up onto the rooftops, looking into the only home on the street with any sign of life inside. Yellow lighting could be seen in the windows, the ones that weren't boarded up. She could see Shadow and Knuckles walk to the front yard, stopping outside of the shabby gate which was almost hanging off of its hinges.

Sh- "Go round to the back, make sure nobody leaves."

Knuckles obeyed and shyly walked around the side of the house, down a small dark alley.

"Begging for mercy will not stop me, but it will make me enjoy this a lot more." Shadow thought, talking to his foe via telepathy. Shadow was almost going insane, never had he wanted someone to feel so much pain. He was going to redefine the words "havoc" and "hurt".

Rouge watched from above, on the opposite side of the street as Shadow walked straight to the front door.

"What the hell is he thinking?!"

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

A minute had passed, no reply. Again, louder.

_KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK..._

The door slowly opened, revealing a tall, well built, denim coloured lynx who was clearly lacking sleep.

"What... The hell... Do you-" The lynx looked down at Shadow, who was waiting. As soon as Shadow knew she was here, this guy would get it. "You... Do you have any idea just what you are doing here? I thought I warned you already what would happen if you were to intervene."

Sh- "You must be Kronos." That name felt horrible as it rolled off of Shadow's tongue, but he refused to be unnerved by this guy.

Kr- "Who told you about me? They will meet the same fate as you when I'm finished."

Sh- "I know everything about you, quite a past you have, but your future is not very bright."

Kr- "You know everything about me, yet you came here tonight, not a "bright" move for your own future is it?"

On cue, Kronos withdrew a blade from his back pocket, and lunged at Shadow, who skilfully dodged the attack with a trio of back flips.

Kr- "So it's true what Katie told me then, you know a thing or two in combat. No matter, you have proved that it won't be an easy task with just a knife. How about we throw in some advanced combat... Say this Glock for example."

Kronos pulled a small pistol out from behind his back, which was holstered in his belt. He quickly threw his arm up to aim at Shadow, precision not needed from only several feet away.

Kr- "No reactions huh? Any last words?"

Shadow just stood there, looking at the ground, contemplating in his mind. This guy was willing to end Shadow's life here and now, which is what part of Shadow wanted desperately. That part however, was the same part that was overthrown in the previous battle. Rouge was still overlooking the standoff from across the road, trying to prevent herself from joining in, putting them both at risk.

Kr- "Or maybe I should kill the one behind you spying on that roof. She looks as if she knows you, trembling in fear."

Sh- "Last words... You sure you want to hear them?" Shadow looked up to face Kronos, and watch the look on his face change in a matter if seconds.

Kr- "Not as if they will matter, but go ahead, entertain me."

Sh- "Very well..."

_"Chaos Control."_

A flash of light was seen, and Shadow was no longer in front of Kronos, no longer in the sights of his weapon. Shadow reappeared to the side of Kronos, and roundhouse kicked the pistol out of his hands.

Kr- "What the hell?!"

Shadow's eyes had turned crimson again, but not like the previous occasions. This time, the blood red had engulfed the entire iris, and his pupils were dilated.

Kronos lunged at Shadow again with his other hand, still holding the sharp knife. Shadow caught the incoming attack without flinching, and bent his hand as far back as it would go, causing the wrist to snap, and blood to pour out of the freshly cut wound which was caused by bone piercing his flesh.

Kr- "ARRGHH! You bastard!"

Sh- "You will feel everything that you put Katie through. Unlike her, you will not survive, does that sound fair to you?"

Kr- "You... You wouldn't... Would that make you any better than me? You are a hypocrite. You will suffer the most from this."

Kronos was kneeling on the floor, holding his hand, trying to put it back in place without causing too much pain. His pistol was lying just to the left of him, and with his only active hand, he picked the pistol up and shot three times in Shadow's direction. The first shot landed just above Shadow's hip, heavily grazing the flesh and tearing some tissue. The second shot was heavily affected by the recoil from the first, causing it to travel straight through his shoulder, and out the other side. The third shot fired had missed completely, which was a relief, giving them both a small window to recover.

Shadow was in a bad condition, and couldn't take another bullet, which is unfortunate, because the tables had turned. Kronos was getting to his feet, while Shadow was on his knees, not taking his eyes off of his opponent.

Kr- "Funny, isn't it? Just a minute ago you were in a position to finish me off, now look at you. Grovelling in the dirt like the scum you are. Imagine the look on Katie's face when I tell her that her saviour is no more."

Kronos replaced his pistol with his knife, and ran towards his target, who was just kneeling there, waiting. Shadow reacted with a sweeping kick, seconds before Kronos got within range, which caused them both a small ounce of pain. The tables had turned again, with Kronos on the ground and Shadow slowly lifting himself up, before walking over to Kronos. Shadow stepped on the hand which held the knife, until he heard a faint crunch, alerting him that Kronos had no chance of using any more weapons.

Shadow reached down, placing his right hand firmly around Kronos' neck, lifting him to his feet. Kronos retaliated with a roundhouse kick of his own, connecting with Shadow's jaw, almost hard enough to break a few bones. Shadow remained on his feet, and swung a volley of punches at Kronos, each varying between his face and his stomach.

Kronos tried to catch his breath after that assault, but Shadow was already behind him, grabbing both of his useless arms and holding them firmly behind his back. Shadow kicked the back of Kronos' legs, causing Kronos to fall to his knees. Shadow rested a foot on Kronos' spine, and with a hard tug on both arms, they both popped out of joint, causing Kronos to scream even more. He didn't have long left, and Shadow knew this, he had to speed this up.

Shadow limped around the still body, grabbing him by the throat again and lifting him up, quickly dragging him to the front of his home. He pinned Kronos up against the wall, with his feet about half a metre away from the wall. With a vicious kick onto each knee cap, two more limbs were out of use, and broken. Kronos lay on the ground, coughing up blood rapidly. Shadow took a few steps backward, picking up a small object and then returning to Kronos, and fell to his knees right beside him.

Sh- "Your pistol would have made this painless for you, so I hope you don't mind if I use your knife instead." Shadow stroked the blade with his fingers, only one thing left to do.

Sh- "I'll see you in hell you rotten bastard." Shadow held the knife above him, steadying his aim, then his hand dropped like a guillotine, stabbing Kronos' chest, piercing whatever was left of a heart.

It's done. Shadow was exhausted, and the pain was excruciating. He dropped the knife and fell backwards, landing roughly on the solid ground, drifting in and out of consciousness. He couldn't stay awake any longer, he would probably die here too.


	26. Chapter 26 - One man broken

Chapter 26 - One man broken, another fixed.

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

"An alarm? Was it all a dream? No... I can feel those wounds. Where am I..?"

Shadow opened his eyes, instantly blinded by a bright light above him, causing him to blink a few times before adjusting to his new environment. His shoulder and hip felt pressured, but the pain was much less intense than before. A long bed, that beeping sound, a small tube pierced into his veins, this was all new to him, but he knew what it was.

Sh- "A hospital huh... Never thought I would be the one to come here."

To his right, machinery keeping him stable with drugs, and a small bedside table, on it a small tray with some food and a small clock.

Sh- "2AM... Only a few hours ago then."

He had a small room to himself, probably to segregate himself from any other patients, as if to say they aren't in enough pain. Shadow grabbed the covers with his free hand, and pulled them off slowly, to assess the damage. A few stitches on his hip and a large bandage over his right shoulder. Although he couldn't see it, he could feel a small padded plaster above his jaw where he received a kick similar to his own.

To his left, the exit, and a small chair beside his bed, until now not knowing he was accompanied by his partner, Rouge. She was asleep, not a scratch on her but she looked in a much worse condition. The mangled corpse of Kronos was likely to be the most gruesome thing she had ever seen.

Shadow didn't want to disturb her, so he pressed a small button on the side of his bed, labelled "call nurse". A few minutes later, a human walked into the room, with a chart and the classic white coat.

Doc- "Ah, you've finally woken up from the procedure."

Sh- "Procedure?"

Doc- "Yes, you were rushed in a few hours ago and taken into surgery immediately. Leaving it any longer could have been fatal."

Shadow hated this. People aiding him when he didn't ask for it.

Sh- "When can I leave?"

Doc- "Wow, you're determined, I'll give you that." The doctor moved some hair that was dangling in front of her face, then studied the chart again. "If you must, you may leave straight away, but there will be some restrictions."

Sh- "Such as?"

Doc- "Well, for a few days you will have to wear a sling on your right arm, to limit the pressure on your shoulder. You may also experience some pain when moving around, so you will be prescribed some medication while you recover."

Sh- "I request to leave as soon as I can then. I have matters to attend to."

Doc- "No problem, I will order up a prescription, find a nurse to administer the sling, then you can be on your way." The doctor turned to leave the room before remembering something else, and took a quick glance at Rouge. "One more thing, your friends are in the waiting room, and they're quite worried about you."

Sh- "I don't have any friends, only distractions."

Doc- "They told me you would say something like that. I'll send them in." The doctor giggled and left the room after Shadow's strop.

"Great." Shadow thought, waiting for the verbal abuse from his tenants when they arrive.

Rouge was still asleep in the chair. Shadow was starting to think she wasn't that bothered about seeing Kronos, she wouldn't have fell asleep that easy, it almost made Shadow himself sick to the stomach.

The small door reopened, and Amy put her head around the door, to see who was inside.

A- "They're in here."

Amy walked in and waited for the rest of his "friends". Sonic was next to enter, who looked at Shadow with a smug expression on his face. The next person walked into the room and closed the door after them. It was Katie, who had a few new scratches on her face, most likely from Kronos.

A- "How are you feeling?"

Sh- "Fan-fucking-tastic. Keep your voices down."

The four turned their heads to look at Rouge.

So- "Thinking of other people... Wow, did Kronos hit you that hard?"

That name sent shivers down Katie's spine, and the mention of it also sent a stare from Amy and Shadow in Sonic's direction, who backed down off of his high horse.

Sh- "Katie, are you okay? How did you get here?"

Ka- "After your fight, Knuckles got in to the house from the back, and untied me. We came out to the front to see Kronos dead, you in near enough a similar state, and Rouge slouching over you crying."

Sh- "Where is the echidna now?"

Ka- "Well after you were picked up by an ambulance, we went back to yours, told the others, then he and Tails went home. Amy then drove me and Sonic here to check up on you."

Sh- "I don't require assistance so you are excused, all of you."

So- "Want us to wake Rouge and you can tell that to her as well?"

The doctor returned with a small brown bag and a nurse who had a few rolls of bandage in hand.

Doc- "Good morning everyone. I'm guessing he's still in a bad mood?"

So- "Not at all, if he was in a bad mood this would usually be the result." He pointed to his wrist which had almost repaired enough to be able to move.

Doc- "Shadow, if the pain gets too much, take two of these, but not within eight hours of a previous dose, understand?"

The nurse had already gotten to work on fitting Shadow's arm into a sling, and they didn't have the softest touch.

Sh- "Agh... Yeah, I get it."

Doc- "Very well, we have to do a small bit of paperwork at the front office but I will write on your behalf. If you would like to get up and follow me please."

Shadow had to shuffle his legs out of the side of the bed, as he didn't have the strength to push himself up. When he put his feet on the ground, the stitches in his hip began to stretch, causing him quite a bit of pain.

So- "Need some help there bud?"

Sh- "That'll only hurt me more, get lost."

Shadow stood up, and the pain from the movement was worse than when the wound was fresh. He fell to his knees, and the only person in the room that didn't go over to help him up was Katie.

Sh- "Don't touch me."

A- "Stop being so stubborn and just admit that you need help?"

So- "In more ways than one..."

Doc- "We can leave this until later if you wish?"

Shadow stood up again, one foot at a time and rested himself against the bed. Without an answer, he slowly started to walk out of the room, inhaling deeply with each step.

Doc- "I'll take that as a no. Do you guys want to wake her up now? If he is planning on leaving it is best we clear this room out for the next patient."

A- "I will, I'll catch up later."

The doctor led Sonic and Katie out of the room, and headed to the main reception, meeting a displeased ebony hedgehog along the way. Katie actually felt bad for him; he saved her like it was nothing but revenge for sending him a threat.

K- "Shadow, give me your arm."

He didn't answer, so Katie just took it anyway and placed it around her neck over her shoulders.

K- "Better?"

Sh- "Yes... Thank you."

K- "No, thank you. You stuck to your word and saved me from him."

So- "Will you two hurry up? You're creating a line back here."

Sh- "Want me to line up a foot in your ass?"

The four of them reached the end of the corridor, which led to the main reception. The doctor took a form from behind the desk, and started filling it out.

Doc- "Only a few things I need you to do, first off, any allergies?"

Sh- "Apart from morons... No."

Doc- "Good... Next, any family to contact in case of another emergency?"

Sh- "No."

Doc- "Last thing, it may hurt, but you need to sign here, just to say we have given you treatment and appropriate medication."

Shadow used the signature that was assigned to him after being hired by G.U.N, he didn't really have his own, but it still belonged to him in a way. Since he was right handed, he took his chances with his injury, and signed with his right hand, it didn't hurt as much as he expected, but his shoulder still stung.

Doc- "Right, since it is your first time here, we're keeping your details just in case. Never know when you might be back with another life threatening injury."

K- "Well with his job and persona, that's more than likely."

Doc- "Why? What is it that you do?"

K- "G.U.N agent, highest tier possible besides becoming the actual commander."

So- "Wouldn't want to imagine what would happen to the world if Shadz was in charge of WMD's..."

Sh- "You make it sound like I don't have what it takes to take the job. The less you know the better I guess. Let's go, I need to get back and rest."

So- "Well Ames has the keys... I'll go and get them, hold on a sec."

Sonic left the two at the reception to try and retrace his steps to Shadow's personal ward.

Ka- "What did you mean when you said to him "the less you know the better"? You still work for G.U.N right?"

Sh- "Of course, but Sonic was doubting I'm leader material. I could take the job as commander at the flick of my wrist."

Ka- "How come?"

Sh- "Once the commander retires, the job is passed down to the top agent. He already offered it to me a few months ago, but I wanted to do a bit more field work before I sit back and give orders."

Ka- "What about Rouge? I thought you were both top agents?"

Sh- "Rouge? I doubt she would take it. She's more of a "fly in the freedom" kind of person, not an office jock."

Sonic reappeared in the reception with a set of keys, looked towards the two and signalled for them to follow his leave.

A short walk into the car park later, they arrived at the pink convertible. Unlocking it, Sonic opened the back door and got into the seat located in the centre of the row. Katie walked Shadow to the door and helped him into the seat before closing the door and going around to the other side. Once all three had gotten into the back, Amy and Rouge had left the hospital and were on their way to the car in the pitch black car park.

Once they got a little closer to the car, Shadow noticed that Rouge was still in a bad state.

Sh- "Why the hell is she crying?"

So- "Don't ask her about it okay? It was hard to get the keys from Ames without setting her off again."

Ka- "You should of heard the things she was saying to Shadz when he was out cold after the fight. I think she was hitting him harder than what he took from Kronos..."

Shadow didn't take note of what Katie had just said, his thoughts were elsewhere. He felt a new feeling that he has never come across before. A feeling which he didn't like from the start. Guilt. But why? What had he done to feel this way? He shut his eyes and tried to get some quick winks before arriving home. The two stragglers got into the car, with Amy driving and Rouge being the front seat passenger.

A- "Anyone mind if I call into mine on the way back? There's a few things I should probably get."

Sonic and Katie both shook their heads, Shadow however was out of it, the drugs must have made him tired as he has never fallen asleep that quickly. Amy started the car and set off on the short journey, taking a small detour to go by her place first, then after about five minutes, set off again for Shadow's place.


	27. Chapter 27 - Fixing something else

Chapter 27 - Fixing something else

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Amy parked her car in the drive outside of Shadow's house, just in front of the garage. The engine and lights were both turned off, and Katie, Amy and Rouge got out, as they all had access to a door. Since Sonic was in the centre seat, he had to wait for either Katie or Shadow to leave, Katie being the only choice since Shadow was still catching Z's.

So- "I'm not waking him... With good reason."

K- "Wimp..."

Rouge gave the house key to Amy, while Sonic and Katie had a bickering war. Rouge walked back to the car and slowly opened the door, making sure Shadow wouldn't fall out. She tapped him on his stronger shoulder, and just walked off while he was awakening, without saying a word. Sonic and Katie ceased their war and quietly discussed what Rouge just did.

So- "Not even a "Shadow, we're home", what is up with her?"

K- "She's scared."

So- "How can you tell, and why would she be scared of Shadz? He'd never harm her."

K- "You didn't see the state Shadow left "him" in. I was shocked, but only because it was him lying there, was I able to see past it and not take in the whole image."

So- "She stayed with him for hours after he was out of surgery, what was different?"

K- "How would you feel if your best friend had a chance of not waking up, or giving in at any time? Even if they had done something bad, you wouldn't want to let them go."

Shadow started to wake up, not knowing who had woken him but glared instantly at the two gossiping to his right, outside of the car. Katie realised that their conversation was no longer private, and walked around the car to help Shadow out.

K- "Come on you... Let's get you inside and into bed, all you can do is rest for a while." Katie took Shadow's arm and held it over her shoulders like last time, and near enough dragged him out of the car.

Sh- "Wasn't it me who was supposed to be looking out for you?"

K- "Funny how fate can be isn't it? Now get a move on, it's freezing out here."

Katie escorted Shadow into the house, then he decided he would try once more to move around on his own. Amy had locked the car up and brought a bag inside which she had gotten from her place, dropping it in the living room, where Rouge and Sonic were now sat. Shadow had made his way to his room on his own, stopping just outside with Katie following behind him just in case, but stopping at his door.

Sh- "I'm going in the shower, I need to get this blood off of me before I rest, okay?"

K- "Yes, but be careful."

Shadow entered his room, closing the door behind him, leaving Katie to join the others in the living room.

A- "Has he gone straight to bed?"

K- "Shower first, then he will most likely, he's too weak to be doing much else."

So- "I can't blame him, taking two shots and still fought on. He shouldn't even be alive never mind awake."

The four just sat silent for the next few minutes, all thinking about the same thing. Was everything going to get better from now? Or has the atmosphere permanently changed? Shadow removed his sling, bandages and plasters, revealing a large wound on his shoulder, and the stitches in his hip. Moving about on his own caused the sealed wounds to crack back open, starting to seep blood again. The tablets he was given from the hospital were placed on his bedside table, with his inhibitor rings, gloves and shoes. Shadow was in his en-suite, looking at himself in the mirror, blood slowly travelling from his shoulder and hip, down to the tiled floor.

Shadow opened the screen doors of the shower and punched a button on the wall mounted machine, then closing the doors after entry. The showerhead sprung into action, spraying cold water on his head, which was pressed against the wall.

"What... Am I..?"

Bloody water surrounded him, his knees weak from the pain he was feeling. But his mind was telling him otherwise, he was created to be a killer. Strong and efficient, yet sick and twisted.

G.U.N would allow an agent to kill outside of a mission, but it had to be for a reason, and within reason. Kronos' death would have been permitted, as it could be seen as a hostage situation. How it was executed however would be enough for Shadow to be executed himself. His mind was torturing him, telling him it is his fault Maria is dead, telling him he's going to kill anyone else who gets close to him.

In the living room, the silence was still in session, nobody wanting to say anything, or know what to say for that matter. Then Sonic decided to start a topic that wouldn't get anyone even more down than they already were.

So- "What's in the bag that you brought Ames?"

A- "Just a few small things, some food that needs to be used up soon. That reminds me, Rouge and Katie, have you had anything to eat at all?"

K- "I had a snack at the hospital after getting my cuts seen to, so I'm not really that hungry."

A- "Rouge?"

R- "Only a few cups of coffee... I don't feel like eating."

So- "At least try, just think of something else."

Shadow emerged from his bedroom, and hobbled into the living room, quills dripping slightly. Shadow had re-equipped his gear, which rarely came off, and had managed to fit the sling back on but had no luck with the lower bandages for his hip. He saw the four of them, with the same expression as him, all except Rouge. She was curled into a ball with her head buried.

K- "Shadow, why aren't you going to sleep yet?"

Sh- "I could ask you the same question. I have something to do first, Katie, can you come upstairs for a few minutes?"

K- "If I must. But you really shouldn't be moving about, you'll make it worse."

Katie helped Shadow up the ascending stairs, and he indicated he wanted to go into the room which was currently unused.

K- "Want me to come in and help you with something?"

Sh- "If you don't mind, it will take a while on my own."

Shadow opened the door, leading in to the untidy bedroom, which was littered with paper mostly, and other things that he couldn't be bothered to sort.

K- "Did a wardrobe explode in here or something?"

Sh- "Nope, but I need to clear it all up."

K- "Giving someone else a bed then?"

Sh- "Don't make me sound like a sop okay? I just need to make up for what I did."

K- "Make up for what? Killing him?"

Sh- "Yes."

K- "You were meant to, he needed to die, but why are you trying to make amends for it? You've killed countless times."

Sh- "Don't make this worse for me. You have seen how Rouge is acting. She hates me. I need to make it right; she didn't have to see what she did."

K- "Shadow..."

The two managed to clear the bed, and stored most of the clutter on the floor into the nearby wardrobes and drawers.

Sh- "Now the bed itself."

Shadow pointed out some drawers, to which Katie walked over to.

Sh- "Third one down."

Katie opened the indicated drawer, which was full of quilt covers and sheets. She withdrew a sheet, a quilt cover, and two pillow covers. After taking them out, she placed them on the bed and was about to close the drawer but something that was under the sheets caught her eye.

K- "This is Maria, isn't it?"

Katie held up a small photo of Shadow and Maria, aboard the Space Colony ARK, just over fifty years ago. Shadow rushed over as quick as he could without injuring himself, to look at the image.

Sh- "I haven't seen this in years... Yes, it's her. That guy behind us, you know him too right, my creator?"

K- "Gerald... You all look so happy."

Sh- "That was taken just a day before the incident. I-..."

Katie looked at Shadow, who had turned his back to her, with his head down.

K- "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Sh- "It's okay, what happened cannot be changed, years without seeing that... This is why Gerald failed."

K- "What do you mean?"

Shadow turned back around, with a tear running down his cheek, this is what he meant by Gerald's failure. Giving the Ultimate Life-Form a weakness, emotions.

K- "I'll finish up here, you go downstairs and tell Rouge to get some sleep okay? Take it slow, and try to get some rest yourself, anyone can tell you're tired."

Shadow obeyed and turned to leave the room. He was however again stopped by Katie who had one more thing to say to him.

K- "Shadow, he didn't fail and neither did you. He was proud of you, and you should be proud, knowing that you have people you can talk to."

Sh- "Thank you.."

Katie herself was feeling sadness from the tragic accident. Shadow told her that Gerald was trying to find a cure for Maria's life threatening illness, so he set out to create the Ultimate Life-Form. Gerald's creation however was seen as a threat, and was shut down manually, taking Gerald prisoner, gunning down scientists, and eventually Maria, who was denied to live the rest of her short life.

Shadow had arrived in the living room after slowly descending the stairs, and the three were still there, although Amy was stood up.

So- "Hey Shadz, where's Katie?"

Sh- "Just finishing something up, she will be down soon I believe."

Shadow looked to Rouge, who was picking at a fruit salad that Amy had given her while Shadow and Katie were upstairs.

Sh- "Rouge?"

So- "Shadow... Leave it."

Rouge looked up at him, still a worried look in her eyes, but she wasn't phased by his sudden appearance.

Sh- "There's a clear room upstairs if you want to use it."

The tear from earlier was still fresh on Shadow's face, but had moved further down to his chin.

A- "Right, well I'm gonna try to get some sleep so I'll see you all later."

So- "Later Ames."

As Amy left to go upstairs, she walked by Shadow, and noticed a small sparkle of light under his chin.

A- "Shadow, are you alright?"

Sh- "I'm fine... Just... Reliving the past after so long is a hard thing to do."

A- "We'll talk in the morning okay? Good night."

Sh- "Good night."

Amy left Shadow, Rouge and Sonic, alone in the living room, while Katie was still upstairs sorting out Rouge's room.


	28. Chapter 28 - A sudden change

Chapter 28 - A sudden change

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

It was about 3AM now, and Katie had finished making Rouge's bed upstairs and had rejoined the others in the living room, all except for Amy, who had left to get some well needed sleep. Shadow had sat with Sonic on the large sofa, while Rouge was residing on the smaller of the two.

K- "Feeling better now Shadz?"

Sh- "Slightly. Still in a bit of shock, that's all."

K- "I'm going to bed now, I suggest you all should too, by the time we wake up it'll be lunchtime. Also Shadow, don't forget to alert G.U.N of what has happened."

Sh- "That is the last thing on my mind right now..."

Katie felt solely responsible for his current behavior, so she walked over to the sofa he and Sonic were on, and gave him a small gentle hug, which he accepted, before she started to leave for her room down the hall.

Sh- "Well, I guess I'm going too, there is no reason for me being here either."

As Shadow left, Rouge looked toward Sonic, who looked like he too was going to get some sleep, now that he has his couch to himself.

R- "Sonic. Take the bed upstairs please. You need it more than I do."

So- "No way, he'll kill me if I took it."

R- "I'll tell him it was my idea. Please just go and leave me alone."

So- "What's wrong with you? You're acting like Shadz all of a sudden."

R- "Unless you want your other wrist broken, leave now."

So- "If he blames me I'm coming after you, remember that."

Sonic could see Rouge was being serious, and walked upstairs, then into the room that Shadow and Katie had just cleaned up. Rouge went and sat down on the now empty couch, slowly starting to lie down as she got underneath the temporary covers.

An hour had passed and Shadow was having difficulty getting to sleep, even with some of those drugs still in his system. He hadn't taken any of the medicine that the hospital had prescribed, although they would help numb the pain. Shadow however was experiencing an incurable pain.

Sh- "Maria... Forgive me, but I have to move on. If I don't forget the past, there is no future."

Shadow was talking to himself quietly, hoping Maria would hear him, and appear before him to tell him it will all be okay.

About another half an hour had passed, Shadow still restless, not receiving a response from his deceased childhood friend. He didn't expect to get an answer, but he wanted this to end. He needed somebody to fill Maria's place by his side, anyone who would understand him like she did. He wasn't the only one in the house who couldn't sleep, but why would Shadow care? It's their choice to sleep at his place.

Shadow had to move on to a last resort, to make him forget one way or another. He tried getting to his feet, but the quick changes in change in elevation hadn't helped him in the slightest, resulting in him falling onto the floor instantly.

Sh- "Shit..." He growled, landing right on top of his wounded arm.

Getting to his feet, he stumbled around in the darkness while making his way to the door. He opened the door, which led into the dark hallway. He turned right to make his way to the kitchen, his shoes connecting violently with the laminate flooring, echoing off the surrounding walls. He walked past the living room, then entered the kitchen, taking a quick rest before going any further. He continued and then stopped near the fridge. On the kitchen top was a six bottle wine rack, however Shadow filled it with various spirits, not being a wine person as he didn't have anything to celebrate.

He tried to make out the labels on the bottles with the limited light that he had, which was the sun's reflection on the moon, illuminating the sky and intruding through the window.

A bottle was withdrawn from the rack, but no glass from the cupboards. He left with the bottle firmly gripped around its neck with his temporary stronger arm. As he left the kitchen to go back to his room, he noticed the figure on the couch in the living room also restless under their sheets. Shadow knew they weren't asleep; they were throwing fits hitting the couch below them.

Sh- "What's up with you Faker?"

No response.

Sh- "Ignoring me? Well, enjoy your night, it'll be your last in this house."

R- "It's not Sonic..."

Sh- "Rouge? Why aren't you upstairs?"

R- "Sonic is in there."

Sh- "So he took advantage of you and took the room for himself? Right, he's gone."

R- "No, I forced him to take the room... Why have a bed if you aren't going to sleep?"

Sh- "For once we are on the same page." Shadow turned on a small lamp in the corner of the room and sat down on the other half of the sofa that Rouge was on. "I'm sorry you had to see what you did. I wasn't thinking of anyone or anything else."

R- "I know what you are trying to say, but you're wrong with that assumption."

Sh- "Hmm?" Shadow had uncapped the bottle, and was bottoms up when he gave his response, ignoring the foul taste of the vodka he was consuming.

R- "You think I can't sleep because of shock, or because I'm scared of you."

Shadow put the bottle on the table, which Rouge instantly reached out for, agreeing with Shadow's motive to try and force sleep.

Sh- "Then what is it?"

R- "Before I tell you, why are you up?"

Sh- "Remember that photograph of the ARK that I told you had went missing a few years ago? Katie found it. It's coming back to me all at once, and I can't take it. Now spill." Shadow reclaimed the bottle from Rouge; already a quarter of the bottle was gone.

R- "I thought I had lost you. Now that I've seen you on Death's door, I'm starting to think that what we are doing is too risky."

Sh- "What do you mean?"

A third of the bottle gone.

R- "I don't want to have to see you like that again, even if it is during a mission."

Sh- "It won't happen again. I couldn't control myself. All targets during missions are not personal, so it is quick and efficient work, but he... He had to get what was coming to him, no matter what the cost."

Rouge had made it half of a bottle.

R- "Prove it. Promise me."

Three quarters.

Sh- "I... I promise."

Empty.

Sh- "Rou- Rouge. You can sleep in my bed for the night. I can sleep here again."

R- "You can't sleep here, you need to be in your own bed okay? Wait here a sec."

The rapid drinking had made the effect of the alcohol much stronger, adding to the fact that they also had about half of the bottle each. This was clear when Rouge tried getting up, and bumped into the table on her way out of the room. Rouge had went back into the kitchen, and started to look through the fridge, trying to find a few small bottles opposed to the larger ones. After a tough decision, she came back into the living room with a bottle of tequila and a can of cider.

Sh- "Since when have you ever drunk cider?"

R- "I haven't, but you don't have the ingredients for a margarita."

Sh- "We can get some tomorrow if you want?"

R- "Unless Omega short circuits, I don't have anything on, so sure, you can get me drunk."

Sh- "Oh grow up, you would do anything for a drink."

R- "I would not! Need help with the cap?"

Sh- "It's fine, I've got it."

Being a bit tipsy, Shadow was struggling to open the bottle that Rouge had given him, but he eventually got it open.

Sh- "See? I'm not completely useless."

Both of them just sat there, getting drunk as they were talking to each other, in turn forgetting why they were ever up in the first place.

Sh- "I had better get back... It's getting quite late." He said, putting down a second bottle that he had gotten soon after finishing his first.

R- "Want me to walk you to your room? Chances are you'll break something in your face if you try by yourself."

Sh- "If you don't mind batgirl."

R- "You haven't called me that in years... I think I like it when you're drunk."

Sh- "I'm not drunk... Being drunk is a form of defeat... I can't be defeated."

R- "Oh yeah? The state you are in, even Amy could put you down."

Shadow growled at that last remark, as Rouge got up to hold him upright, putting her arm around his waist, accidentally pressing against his wound.

Sh- "Rouge! Watch it!"

R- "Sorry... Katie is normally the one to be your carer."

Sh- "Very funny, now are we just gonna stand here or are we leaving any time soon?"

Rouge pressed her hand further up his body, staying clear of his hip, but just below his sling. They began to walk to Shadow's room, not in a straight line however. After getting to the door, Shadow opened it, and tried to drag Rouge inside.

R- "Erm.. Shadz? I thought you said your room was off limits? The only two times I've been in I didn't turn a light on in fear of finding something that nobody wants to see...

Sh- "That was when I could get myself in and out of a simple piece of furniture. Come on in, don't mind the mess."

Shadow walked inside the room slowly, due to the darkness obscuring his vision, and flicked the light switch on.

R- "And what mess would that be? I don't remember any."

The room was spotless, surprisingly. A white room similar to that of the garage, however the floor was compiled of oak boards. The room was quite simple, tidy and quite up to date. A large desk with a computer provided by G.U.N, very advanced tech. Everything in the room was either an ebony black or a crimson red, except the bed, which was a large queen sized white mahogany masterpiece, a very rare sight, with crimson sheets and a pillow on each side.

R- "For someone who hates sleeping, that has to be the nicest bed I have ever seen."

Sh- "It should be. A famous designer said the pinnacle of the room has to be a fine bed. Hate the colour of it though..."

R- "Come on, let's get you in."

The sheets were already disrupted from Shadow's earlier movements.

R- "You don't know how lucky you are to sleep in your own bed..."

Sh- "What is happening with your place anyway?"

R- "Trying to sell it, but I'm having a tough time since it hasn't been fixed yet. Police are still doing their investigation and won't let me get some stuff."

Sh- "Sell it? Why? It was a decent place to crash after work in my opinion."

R- "And how would you know that? You only ever came to my place to drop me off after a night out."

Sh- "Never mind, look, I'm gonna go to sl-"

R- "Shadow... When have you been in my place? Answer me now."

Sh- "When you were on holiday last year... The shops were shut and I had no food here so..."

R- "So you raided my fridge?"

Sh- "And... It was quite late at night and I couldn't be bothered to drive back..."

R- "You slept in my house and didn't tell me about it?!"

Rouge was getting angry at hearing this; she thought the house looked different when she got back, not the way she left it that's for sure.

Sh- "Hell, if I'm in for a penny, I'm in for a pound... I might have broken the TV the next day..."

R- "That cost me a lot to fix, you know that right? You think you're getting away with this?"

Sh- "Oh come on... You didn't say that I couldn't go in to be fair. All you said was "Check on it every few days". Don't forget, you didn't even pay me..."

R- "You're going to be the one who pays, got that?"

In his current state, Shadow was scared of an angered Rouge. He would do pretty much anything to get out of this situation.

Sh- "Now where are you going?"

R- "I'm going to sleep on my small uncomfortable couch. Good night."

Sh- "Don't guilt trip me... I offered you the chance to sleep in here earlier remember?"

R- "Is that so? Well, if you remember rightly, I didn't say no. I said you can't sleep on the couch."

Sh- "What's your point?"

R- "Move over."

Sh- "Are you mad? What if somebody sees?!"

R- "Who would come into your room? And why would it matter, I'm only sleeping for the night."

Sh- "I don't know about this... I was already having trouble getting to sleep on my own."

Rouge walked back to the living room, finished her drink that she had left on the table, turned the small lamp off and headed back for Shadow's room. Shadow had already turned his head to the door, to see her return, with a worried look on his face.

R- "What's the matter with you?"

Sh- "What do you think? First the cliff and now this... You're up to something."

R- "No I'm not, now shut up and go to sleep."

Sh- "It's quite hard with the lights on."

R- "Well turn your head round for a second, and then I'll turn the lights off."

Shadow obeyed, looking at the blank wall to his right, he never had problems like this with Maria...

R- "Right, I'll turn them off now."

Sh- "What were you doing?"

R- "I'm not gonna sleep with my clothes on am I?"

Sh- "Right, I'm going to sleep in the living room. It's bad enough that you are sleeping with me, in my bed, in my house, but you are not sleeping with me naked, got it?"

R- "Oh relax you idiot, jeez you are worse than Knux. I'm not naked, I'm wearing underwear, we're just friends remember, no matter how much you want to go further than that."

Shadow got embarrassed at what Rouge just said, and settled himself back down, while Rouge got in next to him, not shy to try and snatch some of the covers. This had to be against G.U.N regulations, or his own for that matter, but how could he stop it? He can't even get up on his own two feet never mind force somebody out of his room.

R- "Nighty night Shadz."

"Yeah, you win again Rouge." Shadow thought. He had fallen right into her trap, playing her game unwillingly. So far, social drinking had him down 2-0, first expressing his feelings to Sonic, and then sleeping in a bed with his team mate.

However... He did feel comfortable having someone with him, as it took his mind off other things that had been distracting him previously.

"I bet she feels the same way too. I guess as long as it makes her feel better then it isn't all bad."


	29. Chapter 29 - The news virus

Chapter 29 - The news virus

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

(A/N Bit of a longer chapter this instalment, hope you enjoy it, and I'm now close to finishing this story, I've planned all the way up until the ending, and I'm working on a sequel and a prequel, if I get time to finish them, I hope you can give them a quick look.) - Thanks :)

The next morning came quickly, with the first person waking up at 11:30AM. Amy was the first one up, after having a nice peaceful sleep, she wanted to have a chat with Rouge about Shadow, and so she got dressed and headed for the room across the study.

A knock on the door followed by "Rouge are you up?" had left her without a response from the other side. Amy heard movement inside the room, which was getting louder as it approached the door. The door slowly opened, and Amy was greeted by a half asleep blue hedgehog.

A- "What the hell are you doing in Rouge's room?"

So- "She isn't here, I slept here last night. She wanted the couch for some reason. Gotta say though, that is a comfortable bed, beats sleeping downstairs."

A- "Will you come and talk to her with me?"

So- "About what?"

A- "About what? Only the fact that she's acting like she is a victim to abuse, have you seen her behaviour since we came back?"

So- "Shadow has probably rubbed off on her, she's going through the same stages he always does."

Amy left for downstairs while Sonic left his room and closed the door behind him. Once they were both downstairs, they both scanned the living room and found a few empty bottles of alcohol, but no Rouge.

So- "Think she just hit the drink and went out?"

A- "She would tell someone or leave signs that she had left, I'll go and see if she's with Katie."

So- "I'll come with you; the bathroom is in the same direction anyway."

The two again left the room, and moved to another location. Amy knocked on Katie's door and received a quiet "Come in."

As she entered the room, Katie was lying in bed with her head underneath a pillow.

A- "What's up with you? Couldn't sleep?"

K- "How could you tell?" Katie asked, sitting upright and removing the pillow from her face, bags were clear under her eyes.

A- "Erm, just a guess really. Rouge hasn't popped in has she?"

K- "Not that I'm aware of, why?"

A- "Can't find her anywhere."

K- "Ask Shadz. If you can get a straight answer out if him without him bursting into tears that is."

A- "I saw him like that last night, what was the matter with him?"

K- "Maria."

A- "Ah, thanks anyway, I'll get Sonic to check on Shadz, I'm gonna go and cook breakfast, want anything?"

K- "I'll have a little bit of whatever anyone else is having thanks."

Amy left the room to find Sonic sitting on the couch watching TV.

A- "Oh nice effort Sonic... Do you even care if Rouge could be missing? Go and ask Shadow if he's heard from her, okay?"

So- "Ugh... Fine." He mumbled, switching the TV off and walking the short distance to Shadow's room, which in the usual circumstance would be dangerous, but in his current condition Shadow wasn't really a threat to anybody.

Sonic was about to knock on the door, but noticed it was slightly open, so he just slowly opened it and popped his head around the door. He had solved the mystery of the missing Rouge, and also made a discovery that will haunt Shadow when he wakes up. Rouge was now laid right next to Shadow, with one arm placed over him, hand resting on top of his injured shoulder which mustn't have been in too much pain.

Sonic closed the door gently and walked into the kitchen where Amy was looking through the cupboards for some ingredients.

So- "Ames, go to Shadow's room right now and take your phone."

A- "Why? Has there been an accident? Is he okay?"

So- "He's fine. Probably more than fine if you ask me, but quick, go check it out."

Amy put down a box of cereal she had found and headed for Shadow's room, picking up her phone from the kitchen counter as she rushed by.

A- "If you're playing a trick on him you'd better face the consequences..."

So- "No, no... But when I said Shadow rubbed off on her, I think it's actually the other way around..."

Amy arrived outside the door with Sonic just behind her, as it slowly opened, revealing something different to what Sonic had just seen a few moments ago. Rouge had her head resting on Shadow's woundless arm, with her arm still wrapped around him.

A- "Awww... That's so cute.."

So- "Quick get a photo, I gotta show this to the guys."

Katie had emerged from her room and approached the two who were peering into Shadow's room.

K- "What's going on? Shadz fall over again or something?"

So- "Much better than that. Come take a look."

As Katie approached the door, Sonic left to try and find his own phone, since Amy wasn't cooperating.

K- "Is that...?"

A- "Yep."

K- "And is that...?"

A- "Yep..."

Sonic returned a few seconds later, getting a few shots of the two before they moved.

K- "Are you really that ecstatic about it?"

So- "With these, I have the best blackmail I could ever need, Shadz won't touch me again."

K- "And if they don't care?"

So- "Well... It's Shadow... Of course he'll care, and who knows, maybe it could get him in trouble at work..."

K- "Rouge would get just as much of the blame. Unless you want to die, I would suggest keeping it quiet."

A- "Will you two be quiet? You'll wake them."

So- "Think they were drunk?"

K- "Oh yeah. Can't you tell by the bottles and cans littered in the living room?"

A- "Let's leave them; I'll speak with Rouge later."

The three left for the kitchen where Amy continued breakfast, Sonic was sat texting, and Katie just took a quick nap at the kitchen table. It had approached 12, and the sound of a door opening from the hallway could be heard from in the kitchen.

A- "Morning Rouge, want anything to eat?"

R- "No I'm fine thanks, I have to get changed soon, we're going to do a little bit of grocery shopping."

So- "We?"

R- "Me and Shadow, you're welcome to come if you want."

Sonic almost choked on his coffee after Rouge had classified herself and Shadow as "we".

So- "*cough* It's okay, I have some stuff to do."

K- "So Rouge... Fancy telling us where you were? We looked everywhere and couldn't find you."

R- "I err... I slept in Shadow's bed last night."

K- "Oddly generous of him, where did he go?"

R- "He didn't go anywhere. He slept in his own bed as well." Katie and Sonic had to cover their mouths to hold back an outburst of laughter.

A- "Is he awake? I need to have a chat with him today."

R- "He's still asleep unfortunately."

A- "No matter, can we have a talk in the living room please?"

R- "I guess so."

The two walked out, leaving the two kids sat at the table in stitches themselves.

K- "She is sooo embarrassed. I can't wait to see Shadow; we need to make some stuff up about it. We'll say Rouge did something when he was asleep."

So- "Tails had pretty much a similar reaction to Amy. Knux however... He isn't too bothered about it, quite surprising if I'm honest."

K- "Why's that?"

So- "Knux had a thing for her back in the day, hell, he might still have that same thing, but with Shadz around I doubt it'll happen in this lifetime."

Amy and Rouge had sat down on the same sofa, Amy taking her role as the quizmaster.

R- "So what's up?"

A- "Are you feeling any better now?"

R- "Yeah it's sorted now. Why are you so bothe-"

A- "Can you tell me what was wrong?"

R- "It's personal."

A- "Did it have anything to do with last night?"

R- "I thought you wanted to talk to me, not interrogate me."

A- "I'm worried about you. We all remember what Shadow tried when he was like you were."

R- "Yes, I was there to stop him, right now he would do the same thing, but don't worry, I'm not going to be in that position.

A- "So you two are...?"

R- "We are what?"

A- "You know... Emotional?"

R- "God no! You know who you are talking about right? Mr. I don't need anyone."

A- "Right... Well as long as you are fine I'll be getting back to the kitchen, I'm starving."

Amy left Rouge in the living room with a questioned look on her face.

R- "Where did all of that come from..?"

Rouge decided that she would get a quick shower before they left for the shops, while Amy rejoined the two jesters, who were still smirking away, which she found quite rude.

A- "Will you two grow up? It's not as if you haven't slept with him before Sonic..."

K- "Oh? When was this? I didn't know you went that way..."

So- "Give over, it was two nights... When we first came round, and the night after, and we were on the couch."

Amy gave Katie some cereal she had just poured, then a bowl for Sonic and then one for herself. As she sat down to eat, the two started to bicker about earlier again.

So- "And how do we know you didn't sleep with him before he let Rouge stay?"

K- "Now you're being ridiculous. I was near enough in a vegetative state for the first day, and the second day was when I finally came around, and we had a long conversation. Introductions, few safety measures and rules, you know, the boring bits."

About 10 minutes had passed, while instead of eating, the three had a chat about yesterday's happenings. Sonic's eyes moved away from Katie to look at the doorway, then back at Katie, with a devilish grin.

So- "Think it'll be the same tonight?"

K- "Maybe, if it is, we are definitely going to try and get them to take it further. More alcohol perhaps."

Sh- "Get who to do what?"

Katie dropped her spoon and almost choked on her breakfast, caught out by Shadow's sudden appearance. Amy turned her head after he announced he had woken up, and then to Katie who was practically having a heart attack.

K- "Shadow! Err, nobody doing anything, how long have you been standing there?"

Shadow looked down at her, arms crossed, assessing the mess Katie made.

Sh- "A few seconds. Tea towels are in the bottom drawer."

A- "Shadow, want anything to eat?"

Sh- "I'm good, apparently I am going shopping with Rouge soon."

A- "Oh, okay. Are you feeling better? You looked like you had seen a ghost last night."

Sh- "It's all sorted now. And seeing a ghost is pretty much the gist of it, right Katie?"

Katie was currently searching the drawer for a tea towel, when she turned around red faced to answer Shadow.

K- "Haha yeah, wh- what's with the sudden change of heart?"

Sh- "I think I'm ready to move on. There's no point in grieving about something that was beyond my control."

So- "So Shadz, nice sleep?"

Sh- "What's it to you Faker?"

So- "Nothing. Just making conversation, you know, trying to get a bit closer to you."

Katie burst out laughing, while Amy's head firmly connected with the table in disappointment.

Sh- "What was that?"

So- "Nothing, forget it."

Sh- "Have something you want to say to me? Spill it out then." Shadow stepped closer towards Sonic, who continued eating.

So- "Depends. Will we cuddle afterwards?"

Katie had to hold her sides, which started to hurt with laughter. Amy however knew that Sonic had overstepped the line, and tried to get up to prevent Shadow's response.

Too late Amy.

Shadow swung his left arm with force at Sonic, colliding with his jaw fiercely, knocking him off of his chair and onto the cold hard ground. His face was cut from the velocity of the punch, bruising almost instantly. Katie had stopped laughing, staring wide eyed at the scene before her.

Sh- "That's what I thought."

Shadow turned around and headed for the living room, when a voice had pulled him back. Amy was helping Sonic up while he himself didn't take his eyes off Shadow.

So- "What does she see in you... All I see is a coward, who strikes first then leaves before retaliation."

A- "Shut up you idiot, I don't approve of what he did but you deserved it. Don't make it worse."

Sh- "You are lucky I care about Amy's feelings Faker, or else by now you'd be missing a few teeth."

Shadow managed to leave the room this time, without an interruption and joined Rouge in the living room.

R- "What happened? It sounded like the table collapsed."

Sh- "Blue boy thought he was being funny. The audience disapproved."

R- "In English?"

Sh- "Well, they found out that you slept in my bed, Sonic tried to humiliate me and ended up kissing the tiles."

R- "Shadow... I thought you had learned your lesson from last time."

Sh- "I thought he had learned his. What are you doing?"

R- "Well I just informed G.U.N of the situation, and they want us to drop in later to do some tests."

Sh- "Tests? What type of tests?"

R- "Didn't say, only that we both had to be there. The commander sent word out to the whole agency saying all field operatives have to attend it."

Sh- "Probably just a ruse for another stupid award ceremony. He knows I don't appear for them."

R- "Either way we're going in after we go shopping, they might even have an award for me." Rouge winked at Shadow, who hated whenever he received one, which was usually an annual trio. "Best agent", "Fastest advanced obstacle course lap" and "Highest score in varied firearm challenges". If Rouge gets an award it would usually be "Second best agent" or "Best punctuality", which was a bigger insult to her than receiving no awards.

Sh- "Let's get going, I'm getting sick of being around people."

R- "Even me?"

Sh- "Only when you play your tricks, hurry up."

Shadow left the room, and headed into the garage, while Rouge quickly checked on everyone in the kitchen.

R- "You okay Sonic?"

So- "I'm fine thanks, where is he now?"

R- "We're going now. Don't worry, when we get back you two can kiss and make up."

Rouge left and headed for the garage, where Shadow was waiting in the car, sat in the passenger seat.

R- "Guess I don't have a choice do I?"

Sh- "Nope, now let's go, I want to be done with all of this quickly, I hate having things to do, it clouds my mind."

The car approached the garage door which was slowly opening, the duo heading for the nearest supermarket to buy some drinks, and ingredients to make other drinks, which Shadow was starting to realise why Rouge went out every other Friday night.

R- "Shadow, you need to stop being so violent around your friends, you're slowly going to push everybody away from you."

Sh- "What is that supposed to mean? I am who I am, if people don't like it, they can deal with it."

R- "It means that the fewer friends you have, the harder your life will be. Just try to be a bit more talkative and not an adrenaline fanatic okay?"

Sh- "Hmm... Thought of a car you want? One for when you get a new place and settle down?"

R- "Yes Shadow, of course I have, that's the first thing I think of every day when I wake up because it's so damn important."

Sh- "A simple no would have been suffice. Just saying, a car is a nice thing to have, you can't say you don't like driving this one do you?"

R- "This car is nice, but the colour, not my thing. It's roomy, quite comfortable, but it jumps quite a bit."

Sh- "It's just new, that's all. Once I settle her in she'll be perfect."

Rouge pulled up at a red light, just a few streets away from the shops, and looked towards Shadow, who was looking out of the tinted window, watching people glance at the car then go back to their own business.

R- "Shadow, you forgot to put your seatbelt on."

Sh- "I didn't forget."

R- "Then why don't you have it on? It's dangerous."

Sh- "Simple, you won't crash."

R- "And how do you figure that out?"

Sh- "You're going down roads with a 20 limit, the worst you could do is scratch the bodywork. Isn't that where we are going?" Shadow nodded in the direction of a nearby supermarket.

R- "Yep, want to get something to eat while we are here?"

Sh- "I'll get something after going into HQ. There's no rush."

Rouge pulled into the car park and found a space close to the entrance, for Shadow's sake so he didn't have to walk too far. They got out, locked up then headed in, and shared the items on their list equally, meeting up at the tills 15 minutes later, and then left the store to head for HQ.

Sh- "I can't believe that guy ID'd me, amateur."

R- "Give him a break; at least he's doing his job."

Sh- "It's embarrassing though."

They got back into the car and kept the bags in the passenger foot well, which wasn't too comfortable, but Shadow didn't mind.

A few minutes later Rouge had pulled into the G.U.N car park, and parked in Shadow's personal space, right near the entrance.

R- "Some of the other agents don't like that you have your own space you know, seems as some of them have been here longer than you have."

Sh- "Well their complaints will only get worse; you're getting your personal space too soon."

R- "Where will it be?"

Sh- "About 4ft to your left outside of the door."

R- "They're actually taking up some of the path? I guess being the best has it's privileges doesn't it?"

Sh- "The discounts are good in the long run too."

R- "What discounts?"

Sh- "I think you need a chat with the commander about your tier one perks..."

R- "He's gonna get more than words when I see him..."

Shadow and Rouge got out of the car and walked into the large glass panelled building. After scanning themselves in, Shadow's biggest suck up, the security guard came over to greet him.

Guard- "Ah, Agent Shadow, Agent Rouge, it's about time you got here, the commander has assembled the other agents in the training hall if you are ready."

Sh- "These "tests" had better be worth my time."

Guard- "I might stick around and watch it myself; it's been a quiet morning. It's always a pleasure to see you two agents at work."

R- "Thanks Larry."

Guard- "Don't mention it; I'll take you there now."

The guard led the way down the large hall, and pushed open a large set of metal double doors, which led to the training room, where the commander was standing inside of a fencing ring, with the agents sitting outside of the ring on an elevating stand.

Com- "Shadow, Rouge, thank you for showing up when you did. I almost had to crack a few jokes to keep the crowd awake."

Sh- "Crowd? What's going on?"

Com- "Like I informed Agent Rouge earlier, we are carrying out some tests."

Sh- "That's a relief, I figured it was a plan to get me to show up for the awards ceremony."

Com- "Don't worry, that will take place next week, and you will show up to it."

Sh- "Why are you so sure?"

Com- "Because if you skip this one your pay is getting docked for a month. Do I make myself clear?"

Sh- "Affirmative Sir."

Com- "Right, now to begin the tests, please remove your sling and hop into the ring."

Sh- "Sir?"

Com- "You heard me son. Failure to carry out these tests will be what... Two months pay, and a demotion, also a failed mission to the portfolio?"

R- "Commander, Shadow is recovering from taking two bullets and more, how can you expect him to be in fighting condition?"

Com- "Three months."

Sh- "Have it your own way, but I will destroy the rookie you send in with me."

Com- "I wouldn't be so sure, this one is on almost the same level as you."

Shadow removed his sling which the guard, Larry, kept for him, and sat down with the agents as Shadow entered the ring, the crowd cheering upon doing so.

Rouge was left with the commander, who turned around to face her.

Com- "Think he's fit for a few sparring sessions?"

R- "Well, you're saying his opponent is almost on his level, so no doubt he will have to move about. It won't be painless for him, I know that much."

Com- "Well Agent Rouge, the one he's going up against looks in good shape to me, and is the only one in the agency who could take him down."

R- "You're making him fight Omega?"

Com- "E-123? Don't be silly, Shadow could shut him down with a voice input. No, his opponent is as unaware as he is."

Rouge looked around the large room, from the crowd chatting, then to Shadow, who was resting in a corner of the ring, while stretching.

Com- "Agent Rouge?"

R- "Yes sir?"

Com- "If you would kindly step into the ring please."

R- "Excuse me?"

Com- "Who else is a top agent in this room? Only you. Now please, we need to provide our agents with a morale boost, show them how top agents fight and assess a battle situation."

R- "Are you sure he will fight me?"

Com- "Do you know what other agents would do to get even a month of his payroll? He'll be shocked yes, but this is Agent Shadow, he has never failed me once."

R- "And who are you expecting to win?"

Com- "On the account of you both being top agents, it should be a draw. On the account of Shadow being much stronger, he should win. On the account of him being at about 40% of his normal state, you should win."

R- "As much as I'll regret this, I'll have to do it."

Com- "It's not a fight to the death. Just a few punches, last one standing is the winner."

Rouge turned her back to the commander and walked into one of the changing rooms, removing her casual wear and equipping some appropriate clothing, a black tank top and jogging bottoms, and also a few pieces of lightweight body armour on her legs. Not for her protection, but to increase damage due to the constant barrages and speed of her kicks.

The commander walked to the corner Shadow was in, who wasn't too impressed with this idea.

Sh- "So, has my opponent forfeited, am I free to leave?"

Com- "Nonsense, your opponent arrived just a few seconds after you did. I'm going to take my seat with the other agents, whatever you do, do not go easy on them, they will not return the favour. There will be weapons thrown into the arena, they will not be loaded or sharp, so the simple action of showing what would be an indefinite kill will result in the win, got it?"

Shadow nodded, now aware that his opponent knew both armed and unarmed combat. The commander left Shadow in his corner and took a seat, waiting for Rouge to reappear to start the event. The agents didn't know who Shadow was fighting, and they were making blind bets without knowing the playing field.

Agent Heath- "200 on Shadow to win, fancy that?"

Agent Roland- "300 on the other guy, Shadow will never win in that state."

Rouge had finished gearing up, replacing her boots with trainers from her locker, which were a similar colour scheme to Shadow's, if the red was replaced with a gentle pink.

R- "This is all wrong..."

Shadow was becoming impatient, with anger building up inside him.

Com- "That, is where Shadow's strength comes from, raw emotion. I hope you pay attention rookies, this is the only time you will see Shadow spare an opponent after battle."

Shadow approached the side of the ring where the commander had sat down with the agents on the front row.

Sh- "Can you hurry them up? I've got things to clear up back home."

The commander looked for the nearest female agent, using a small hand signal to suggest that she should fetch the challenger from the changing rooms.

Sh- "You're making me fight Topaz? I thought you said it would be a fair fight."

Com- "Agent Topaz is just sending a message, hold on a minute. I admire that you are prepared, but I feel you won't be soon enough."

The agent entered the door leading to the changing rooms, which was split with another two doors inside. Which Shadow observed carefully.

Sh- "So, my opponent isn't a robot, I hope you make this worth my while."

Com- "All I ask is that you complete one round. No forfeits. Your prize or insurance, depending on the result, will be full pay while you are out of service. Good enough for you?"

Sh- "Certainly sir."

Shadow walked back to his corner, and took a drink of water before the fight begins. Topaz shyly opened the door to the women's changing room, and spoke through the gap.

T- "Commander wants you on now, I hope you are as good as he makes out."

R- "Topaz?"

T- "Rouge? What are you doing in there?"

R- "Who else would the commander pit Shadow up against? I don't know if I can do it."

Topaz opened the door, to see her friend sitting on a bench staring at the floor.

T- "Has Shadow done anything to upset you recently? Argued with you perhaps?"

R- "Well... He made me sleep on the couch a few nights ago, and he's always attacking Sonic..."

T- "And did you return the favour? Gave him his own medicine?

R- "Topaz! Of course not, I'm not like that."

T- "Now is your chance. Go and get him for it. It's only one round."

R- "I don't have a choice do I? If I say no I'll be sacked. What is the scenario?"

T- "Few training weapons, win by a kill indication, the standard procedures really."

R- "Right... Let's go then."

T- "That's my Rouge, give me a call later, we'll catch up when we have some time K?"

R- "Sure, although I might be a little giggly and drunk..."

T- "Already planning a victory celebration? Oh... Now I really hope you kick his ass."

Topaz left the changing room, with Rouge following behind her, checking her gear on the way. After arriving back in the hall, Topaz dimmed the lights around the ring, keeping only the ring spotlights on full beam.

Shadow witnessed Agent Topaz sit back down a few spaces away from the commander, and a dark figure making their way towards him.

Sh- "What took you so long? Get lost in the building rookie?"

R- "Now now, I've been here longer than you remember..."

Sh- "Step in here and show yourself then, I don't have time for this."

R- "As you wish."

Rouge stepped through the ropes, stopping in her corner and waiting for the match to start.

Sh- "Rouge? What the hell are you doing? Where is my opponent?"

R- "You're looking right at her."

Sh- "Did you set this up?"

R- "I knew just as much as you did until a few minutes ago."

Sh- "This is bullshit, I'm calling this off."

R- "And losing three months pay? I don't think so. You're not the only one who will get fined for not fighting you know?"

Sh- "I don't care, I am not fighting you."

R- "Oh I see, you think that it will be too easy?"

Sh- "No, it's wrong to make the best two agents fight to see who is better. It will only result in sadness, anger, and a drive for revenge."

Com- "Agents. Begin combat."

Sh- "Commander. Call this off now."

The commander sat back down after his announcement, not taking notice of Shadow's rebellion at the side of the ring.

Sh- "Sir! Call this off no-"

Shadow was cut off mid sentence and tossed to the floor with a kick to his face; on almost the exact spot he received a previous injury. The crowd gasped in unison at that action, knowing Shadow wouldn't take it lightly

Sh- "What the hell are you doing?! You don't want to fight just the same as me, what are you playing at?"

R- "I don't want to fight, true, but some payback is in order for breaking my TV and such."

Sh- "Like some payback as in getting back at you for embarrassing me within my own home? If that's how you want to play, bring it."

Shadow got to his feet acrobatically, ignoring the pain from his shoulder and hip. Shadow lunged for Rouge with a few punches, all being pushed away and blocked. After Shadow had exhausted himself, she kicked him brutally in his chest, sending him to the ground again.

R- "Stop playing around. Take off your rings."

Shadow tried to get up one foot at a time, but recieved a knee to the chin when trying to stand.

Sh- "I thought you didn't want to see me like before? Almost dead before you." Shadow spat out some blood to his side, before wiping his mouth with his glove.

R- "I said take them off. Now."

Shadow obeyed, and released the inhibitor rings that insulate his chaos energy. They dropped to the ground one after the other. While the second ring was falling to the ground, Shadow had disappeared from in front of Rouge. She looked around the ring, no sight of him, when she felt a presence behind her. She dodged to her left to avoid a blow that would have surely knocked her out, ending it right there.

R- "That's more like it. You almost got me that time."

Sh- "Don't get cocky."

Two agents came up alongside the ring, searching some racks for appropriate weapons for the fight.

R- "I'll have you down before you can get a hold of one of those."

Sh- "We'll see."

Shadow initiated another barrage of punches, much faster than the previous ones, resulting in Rouge's blocks not being enough to stop the force of them. To catch Rouge out, midway during the attack, Shadow used a sweep kick, knocking Rouge off her feet; she started to fall to the ground. While she was still in the air, Shadow used a Chaos Control to position himself above her, sending a kick flying down into her stomach, with enough force to take down a common rookie for good.

Sh- "Don't get up. I don't want to continue any longer."

Rouge ignored his exclamation and got to her feet, holding her stomach on the way up.

Com- "Agents, initiate weapon cycle one."

Two training batons were thrown into the ring, in which Shadow was the first to interact with them.

Sh- "Child's play."

Shadow kicked the weapons out of the ring, laying his eyes on the commander.

Sh- "Initiate advanced weapon sequence."

The two agents on the sideline looked from Shadow to the commander, who was impressed with Shadow's motivation.

Com- "Very well. Do not get carried away."

The agents moved to the end of the rack, picking up a steel container that was balancing on the end of the rack. They opened it to find a small combat knife, and a pistol with one magazine. The knife was thrown in first, then the pistol, and then the magazine, spread out around the ring.

The ammunition that was provided were high calibre paintball shells, not strong enough to pierce the skin, but will leave a bruise and a nasty sting. Shadow was much more experienced with firearms than armed melee combat, so he went to gather both components of the pistol while Rouge was recovering. The handgun itself had landed closer to him than the magazine, so he picked that up first, and then started making his way over to the ammo, which was a few feet away from Rouge, who had dropped onto her knees hitting the ground.

Sh- "You started quite well Rouge, but you lack momentum."

Shadow walked over to Rouge, picking up the magazine on the way, before loading and cocking the weapon.

R- "Shadow... Please..."

Sh- "What Rouge? I can't hear you. Speak up."

R- "Shadow... Don't get cocky."

Shadow swung his arm round to aim at Rouge's temple, which would be an instant win, however Rouge lunged up, holding the combat knife against Shadow's throat, causing a stalemate. Shadow was shocked, he didn't realise that she actually fell on her knees to pick up a weapon.

Com- "Well done agents. You have set a high standard of the requirements of a top agent, congratulations."

Sh- "Rouge..."

A small trail of blood made its way down Shadow's mouth, Rouge seemed unscathed, and to Shadow's surprise she was smiling.

R- "You okay?"

Sh- "I think something's broken."

R- "Oh come on... I didn't go that hard on you."

Com- "Agent Shadow."

Sh- "Sir, Forgive me."

Com- "For what? You tried your best, which is all I expect."

Rouge picked up Shadow's inhibitor rings from the ground, and handed them back to him, which he accepted and re-equipped.

Com- "Agent Rouge, good performance, deception is one of your strongest attributes if I'm not mistaken."

Sh- "You don't know half of it sir."

R- "Thank you sir, mind if I ask what happens about the stakes we had?"

Com- "Well, you both fought so you are free to leave."

R- "And what is this I hear about top agent discounts hmm? Not hiding anything from me are we?"

Com- "That's correct. Just go to the main reception and they will update your ID."

Topaz approached the ring, causing Rouge to walk over to her with pride in her step.

T- "Well done girl! Where did you learn to defend yourself like that? You had him on the ropes. Literally!"

R- "Some things you just pick up from watching, isn't that right Shadz?"

Sh- "Ugh..."

T- "You know it was just a training exercise. You didn't have to try and kill him."

R- "Take food from a girl's fridge and there's no going back. He got what was coming to him."

T- "What happened with his shoulder? And those stitches?"

R- "I'll tell you later, if I remember."

Shadow was close to collapsing, his head was spinning, his legs were aching, but the thing that took the biggest hit was his ego.

R- "Shadz, you feeling alright?"

Sh- "Take me home... Please..."

T- "Aww, he's cute when he's desperate. I'm guessing you're now his chauffeur as opposed to ours?"

R- "Well, he's letting me drive his new car, and he's drinking a bit more himself now, he could come out with us sometime."

T- "From what I've seen you won't be going out for a while."

R- "Why's that?"

T- "You don't know? I got a text from Sonic earlier, here, look." Rouge looked down at Topaz's phone, displaying the same image that Sonic had taken on the morning.

R- "When did you get this?"

T- "Just before twelve, is there a problem?"

R- "He's gonna die, that's for sure."

Rouge left Topaz and went to help Shadow, who looked like he was about to throw up. After leaving the training room, the guard caught up to them and offered the sling back to Shadow, who was too ill to respond for himself.

R- "Its fine, I think he won't need it anymore. He's healed quite well haven't you?"

Sh- "Huh?"

Shadow was still concussed, meaning Rouge had to drag him along to the main reception to get her extra benefits, before leaving and heading for the car.

R- "Don't feel like driving back I guess?"

Sh- "Don't tell me what to feel..."

R- "Jeez I was only asking, ease up."

Rouge opened the passenger door, and helped Shadow in, curling up as soon as he got in, while she went round to the driver seat, which she was getting fairly accompanied with. It didn't feel as comfortable as before as she was still wearing her training gear, including the light leg weights. Rouge didn't bother putting the seatbelt on for Shadow, as he would probably just take it off anyway, the only thing he needed now was a lie down.

Later, back at Shadow's place, Rouge pulled up outside, and pressed a button on the keys to open the garage. But there was no response from the garage, so she turned the car off, taking the keys and opened the door manually, then got back in the car and restarted the engine. Once in, she went round to Shadow's side and got the shopping first, taking it into the house and leaving it in the kitchen, then going back for Shadow, who was fast asleep.

R- "How the hell do you do it... Shadow, wake up."

Sh- "Not now... Five more minutes..."

R- "Come on, I can't carry you in, just get up and I'll take you to bed, okay?"

Shadow subconsciously got up, hitting his head on the frame of the car as the door was open, and then being escorted by Rouge into the house. Rouge saw everyone in the living room sitting around doing nothing, not even watching TV or listening to the radio.

R- "Any of you know what happened to the garage door? It won't open remotely any more."

K- "The power is out, what's up with him? And why do you have blood on you? Were you attacked or something?"

R- "I'll tell you in a min. He just needs his rest now."

So- "Looks like someone beat me to it then..."

Rouge took Shadow into his room, tucking him in and then closing the door on her way out.


	30. Chapter 30 - blackouts and blacking out

Chapter 30 - There's blackouts, and then there's blacking out

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Rouge returned to the living room, where she was met by the gaze of Amy, Katie and Sonic, who were worried at her shaken down appearance.

R- "Right, he's finally drifted off, he should be fine."

A- "What about you? And why are you bleeding?

Amy pointed out the large patch of blood stained on Rouge's tank top, which the others had also seen earlier.

R- "I'm fine, it's not my blood."

So- "Was Shadow jumped then? Serves him right."

K- "Rouge, tell us what happened."

R- "G.U.N called this morning requesting me and Shadz to go in, all other agents were being brought in too."

K- "A large scale operation?"

R- "Not quite, after we went shopping, we drove to HQ, and we were taken into the main training hall, where the commander was standing inside a fencing ring, giving an announcement to everyone who was sitting around it."

Rouge paused, still sad about what had happened at the end of the fight, with Shadow coming out worse than before.

R- "Once we arrived, he approached Shadow and told him he will be fighting in the ring, even in his condition, or his pay will be cut heavily."

A- "That's harsh..."

R- "It got much worse. The commander told us he was going up against the only one in the agency that was on his level."

So- "Omega?"

R- "That's what we thought too. But no, when Shadow was finally blackmailed into fighting, the commander turned to me and told me in private to gear up."

A- "He made you fight your own team mate? What is wrong with him?"

R- "Well, I didn't want to do it, and sat in the changing rooms almost crying for a few minutes. Then Topaz came to check on me, not knowing it was me of course. But all in all, he made us fight a standard match, ended with either a knockout, kill shot, or forfeit, however forfeit was out of the question."

So- "I see where this is going."

R- "About five minutes in to the fight, weapons were tossed in to the arena, which were basic rookie weapons, which is where Shadow made his first mistake. He kicked the weapons out and requested the highest tier weapons, a strong pistol, and a sharp knife. He took the pistol, I took the knife, he pointed it at my temple, and I held it at his throat, so we tied."

A- "Is he alright? He looked like he'd been through hell."

R- "He was coughing up blood before. I feel so guilty about it."

So- "So Rouge, what do I owe you for doing that?"

R- "You?! You owe me big time. Topaz shown me that photo you took. If anyone asks me about it again, you are done for."

K- "Erm... Will the drinks still be on?"

R- "Of course, Shadow will hopefully be up soon, he was pushed to his limit."

A- "What do you mean?"

R- "He fought with no inhibitors, he was at full strength."

A- "The poor thing... It must have killed him inside..."

R- "He tried to call it off but I stopped him, which I'm probably gonna regret when he comes around."

Amy got up and helped Rouge unpack in the kitchen. Rouge unpacked the bag that she had collected, while Amy unpacked Shadow's.

A- "Think he'll be in the mood for a drink tonight?"

R- "I'm sure I could persuade him if needed, I'll tell him G.U.N weren't happy with the tie, he'll drink away till he collapses."

A- "Do me a favour; don't be too hard on him... Katie told me about last night with him and Maria. I've spoken to Sonic about him, and he's agreed to try and get on with him."

R- "That's progress I guess."

Rouge had almost finished emptying her bag, which was mainly fruit and other ingredients, while Shadow just got bottles.

A- "What the hell... Did you get these?"

Amy withdrew a pair of pink fluffy dice, commonly used as a car decoration, but not what Shadow would be seen buying.

R- "No... I only got the stuff in my bag; he must have gotten them by mistake or something."

Shadow did not get them by mistake; it was going to be a gift, to Rouge, which went with her parking space at work, which he himself had requested for her.

R- "Leave them in the bag, I'm going to see Sonic and Katie if you're coming, I fancy playing a board game or something. Not much else to do while the power is out."

Rouge and Amy left the kitchen to rejoin the other two, in which Katie was laughing at Sonic, who knew he would be in for it if Shadow found out that he took photos too.

R- "You two fancy playing some games?"

K- "Like?"

R- "No idea, he must have something in this house that isn't electronic..."

K- "There were some games in Sonic's room when we were clearing it out, I'll try and find them."

Katie left for upstairs, after which she had returned five minutes later with a box, labelled "Articulate"

R- "So there it is... Shadow plays that by himself. At the office he told me it helps to build a strong vocabulary."

So- "Make him more stuck up you mean."

Katie opened the box, every piece in its place perfectly, and the answer cards in mint condition.

K- "I swear he has OCD... Everything is always so tidy."

Withdrawing all of the pieces, they started to play in teams of two, which were Amy and Sonic, against Katie and Rouge. After about thirty minutes of playing, it was once again Amy's turn to describe the answers to Sonic.

A- "This one is easy... It's what you do when you're tired."

So- "Yawning?"

A- "Right, next, this is... Erm... I can't say I've heard of this before."

K- "Times up. One point that turn, move your piece."

Amy passed the card around to Katie and Rouge, who studied the card, trying to recall that word from somewhere.

R- "Ameliorate? Can't say I've heard of it either."

K- "Same here, it must be quite old..."

A floorboard under the carpets in the living room creaked, with another sound to follow.

Sh- "It means the act of upgrading or repairing something that is in a poor condition or possibly outdated."

The four turned their heads to see Shadow standing before them, with blood forming flakes down his body.

R- "Shadow, you're up."

Sh- "Indeed. Don't mind me, continue your little game, and imagine that I'm not even here. I'm sure that won't be hard for any of you."

So- "Okay, done."

Shadow turned his back to them, walking out of the room, and headed for the door to the garage, picking up his keys from the kitchen counter on the way.

R- "Hold on a sec, I'll see what's up with him."

K- "No, I'll go; I know that look that he had in his eyes."

Katie jumped up from the sofa, passing Amy and Sonic who were sat on the faux tiger skin rug.

She rushed to the garage, where Shadow had mounted his bike, but was getting annoyed with the garage door not opening, throwing the fob attached to his keys onto the ground, smashing it into pieces. Katie ran up to him, and hugged him, to calm him down, and to make herself feel better about what he was contemplating.

K- "Shadow... Don't do it, please."

Sh- "Release me."

K- "I was in this same position almost a week ago when you found me, don't do what I couldn't... Please." Katie sobbed on Shadow's shoulder, holding him harder than before.

Sh- "What is the point anymore? Look at the state I am in. Beaten at the only thing I am good at. I'm weak."

K- "We care about you no matter what, please, just come back inside."

Sh- "So I can be a laughing stock? Do you think it is easy for me to shrug it off like I don't give a shit?! Do you?!"

Shadow stepped off of his bike, removing the stand, kicking it to the ground causing a loud clang as metal hit marble.

K- "Shadow, you aren't a laughing stock. You saved me, let me do the same." Katie stepped forward embracing him again which made it worse.

Sh- "I said get off of me!"

Shadow pushed Katie to the ground, missing the side panels of his car by only a few inches.

Rouge, Amy and Sonic ran in after hearing the bike hit the ground, seeing Katie sitting on the ground, and Shadow standing over her, breathing heavily.

R- "Just what is going on in here?!"

Shadow snapped his head round to witness the arrival of the cavalry. Instantly locking eyes with Sonic.

Sh- "You... You little fucking rat."

Shadow slowly started to walk towards Sonic, before Amy stepped in front of him, stopping Shadow momentarily.

Sh- "Move. Or else."

A- "Shadow... What's the matter?"

Rouge went to see if Katie was okay, who nodded and got to her feet, both standing behind Shadow.

Sh- "Either he removes himself from my sight now, or he ends up the same way as Kronos."

A- "I won't let you."

Shadow raised his arm, ready to pummel his way through anyone who stood in his way, before Rouge and Katie each grabbed one of his arms and held him back.

R- "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

K- "He was going to go on a one way journey, that's how I knew the look in his eye."

R- "Shadow... You promised me."

Sh- "Him! He went over my limit! I allow you to stay here, and you repay me with your childish behaviour, which if you tell anyone about, my life will be over anyway! Why not get it over with now? Save time for the rest of you!"

A- "What are you talking about? We don't want you to go anywhere Shadow..."

So- "Right now, I couldn't care less if he left. It doesn't make any difference to me."

Sh- "Rrgghh!"

Shadow struggled against Rouge and Katie, who were maintaining their strength over him, preventing him from most likely mauling Sonic to shreds. Rouge looked at Sonic, with an angered, yet sad expression on her face.

"You, get out of here now before I release him and let him kill you."

Sonic shrugged and walked back into the living room, calming Shadow down a little bit, but the beast still remained untamed.

R- "You two." Rouge looked to Amy, then to her left at Katie. "Leave this room, lock the door and don't open it unless I give the word okay?"

A- "Are you sure?"

R- "Yes. Go."

Katie let go of Shadow's arm, which Rouge had already gotten a hold of, to stop him from charging off. The door was locked, leaving the two in the garage, the only light coming from the sun intruding in the windows near roof height.

R- "Are you going to calm down? Or do I have to force you?"

Sh- "You wouldn't..."

Rouge kicked behind Shadow's right leg, forcing him onto his knees.

R- "Look at yourself, having emotions isn't what is pathetic, letting them get the better of you and giving in to them is pathetic."

Sh- "You don't know what I feel. Stop acting like you do."

Rouge let go of Shadow's arms, letting them fall to his side, while still on the ground.

R- "I know that your little rivalry with Sonic has gone on too long, and you're taking it too seriously. Killing yourself because he said something that displeases you is more than pathetic. You humiliated us. You broke your promise to me!"

Rouge noticed he hadn't got up and ran straight for the door, the collar was applied, now to attach the leash.

Sh- "It's not just that..."

R- "Explain."

Silence followed Shadow's words, broken by what sounded almost like a sob.

Sh- "Help me..."

R- "We can't help you with what you won't admit. What do you need help with?"

Rouge bent down to be on the same level as Shadow, to try and get him to at least look her in the eye.

R- "Look at me."

Shadow obeyed, raising his head from the ground, and looking into Rouge's teal eyes, still angry, yet sympathetic.

Sh- "You know what I need help with."

R- "And I want to hear you say it, or it will never happen."

Sh- "I want..."

R- "Go on."

Sh- "Help me become a better person."

R- "And why would you ask us of all people for help?"

Sh- "Because you are my friends."

R- "Do you think Sonic and Katie want to help you right now?"

Sh- "No..."

Shadow was broken, his will had died down, and his aura had changed from "at war" to "signing a peace treaty".

R- "Then you know what you need to do."

Sh- "Can you help me?"

R- "Make amends, then we will go from there."

Rouge stood up, knocking on the door gently, as Amy opened the door slowly, getting a quick glance at Shadow on his knees.

R- "Close the door, he'll join us when he's ready."

The door had closed on him, and the sun was beginning to set slowly, dimming the room bit by bit, until he was in a grey room, with the evidence of his rage around him, keys on the floor, bike dinted on the panel that hit the floor.

Still on his knees, he tried to grasp what Rouge was trying to tell him. He reconfigured her words in his mind, to create a different message that he wanted to hear.

"You don't have to go down this path alone anymore."

An orange glow appeared from underneath the door to the hallway. He looked up to see it, a sign to indicate that this is the path he should take. He stood up shakily, walking to the golden bordered door, with his arm slowly reaching for the handle.

Opening the door, the four were walking around the house, scattering candles that Amy had found in one of the kitchen drawers. Hearing the garage door open, they turned to look at the dishevelled Shadow, who looked like a small child who had just been told off.

Sh- "Hey everyone..."


	31. Chapter 31 - Habituation of company

Chapter 31 - Habituation of company at last

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

(A/N - Hey guys, just to let you know, this story is now finished, and the final chapter will be uploaded in around about 7 weeks, so until then, I'm going to be working on a little side project which partly runs alongside this story. That's enough from me, enjoy the chapter!)

So- "Look who it is... Are you going to kick off again? If you are I may as well leave."

Sh- "No... I'm sorry..."

So- "Grew a spine then have you? It's about time."

Rouge walked in from the kitchen, and sat down on the empty large couch.

R- "Sonic, let him finish."

Sh- "I apologise, to all of you. You've seen the side of me I've been battling with for the past few years, but that's no excuse. If you don't feel safe around me, I can go elsewhere."

A- "It's okay Shadow... You're having a hard time, that's all." Amy walked up to him with no hesitation, giving him a small hug before returning to sitting on the rug, clearing away the board game.

Sh- "It's not okay. Amy, you are the only one who hasn't received any physical damage from me, I can't control myself."

R- "And that's why...?"

Sh- "That's why I need your help. I can understand if you refuse."

K- "We'll help "amilerate" you Shadz..." Katie winked at Shadow who returned a soft smile

Sh- "Thank you Katie, but it's ameliorate."

So- "Well, he didn't beat the shit out of you for pronouncing it wrong, it seems he's being honest."

R- "What else Shadow? Why are you saying sorry to us?"

Sh- "Unless I make things right between myself and everyone else, I'll stay this way. And... I need you."

R- "Thank you."

Shadow plotted his next course, for his bedroom, before being questioned about his plan.

So- "Was that it?"

Sh- "I have one more person who I need forgiveness from. I won't be too long."

They all knew who it was, and when he came out from his room a good ten minutes later, with a photo in his hand, it was confirmed.

R- "Shadow, are you sure about that?"

Sh- "Positive."

Shadow sat down on the couch, his eyes set upon a large candle on the coffee table. He held his arm out, holding the photo above the flame, letting it slowly burn to ash, dropping the corner into the open flame, making his final goodbye.

R- "Shadow, why did you buy fluffy dice at the shops earlier?"

Sh- "They are yours; you have a space, some dice, now you just need the car, which G.U.N will lease out if you request one."

So- "Why are you so fixated with letting her drive now?"

Sh- "No reason really, just thought it would be a perfect accessory for Rouge's taste."

Shadow stood up, leaving the remnants of the photo smouldering in the small tray beneath the candle, and heading off into the kitchen.

So- "You know how long this new Shadow will last don't you? He'll flip at us soon for letting him burn that."

R- "I believe he can move on, whether you do or not. Tell me, if he can't change, then why has he calmed down?"

So- "Because his bark is worse than his bite. He's all talk. I give it two days."

K- "What did you say to him Rouge?"

R- "Exactly what he needed to hear. He knows what will happen if there is a next time."

Shadow was looking in the fridge, which currently had no use, trying to find something to eat that was close to expiry, or that had to be kept chilled. The cooker would still work, only the oven beneath it would need electricity, so he made his choice. Before starting, he walked back to the living room, where he was again met by four pairs of eyes.

Sh- "Anyone hungry? I'm making some pasta if anyone wants some."

K- "Sure."

R- "Might as well make it for five, I'm sure we're all hungry."

Sh- "Any problems with a tomato sauce?"

No response gave him the answer he sought out, letting him return to the kitchen and get started.

K- "Okay, I'll admit it, that was a bit scary."

R- "At least he's trying."

A- "What will happen if he does it again? Do you know something we don't?"

R- "He'll be on his own. Living in despair."

Shadow was left alone while he was cooking. He hated the feeling, but he deserved it, and believes it is best that people stay away from him, at least for now.

Rouge visited Shadow's room while he was in the kitchen, trying to find her phone to call Topaz. She might as well chat now while there's nothing to do. After a quick search of his room, there was no trace of her phone, leaving to carry on her search. Rouge joined Shadow in the kitchen, who was currently working at the cooker, creating large flames with every movement of the pan.

R- "Is that supposed to happen?"

Sh- "I'm not too sure, but I reckon it really gets the taste out of it, do you need anything?"

R- "Just looking for my phone, have you seen it?"

Sh- "It might be in the car. I can go and check if you want."

R- "Its fine, you're busy. Here."

Rouge handed him the medication provided by the hospital, which was unopened as he refused to take any.

R- "Don't act like you can't feel anything, just take a few and if they don't do the trick, then you don't need them, okay?"

Sh- "Thanks..."

Rouge left him to wallow in his own company, while she hunted within the dark garage, her phone being the diamond in the rough. The motorbike remained on the floor, and the plastic remains of the garage door key still scattered. Rouge opened the car door, which she hadn't locked earlier, to find her phone in the small well which would usually be used as an ashtray.

Returning to Shadow's room to have some privacy, Rouge browsed her contacts and called Topaz, who answered after about a minute of ringing.

T- "Hey! How you doing superstar?"

R- "I'm fine thanks T, are you busy?"

T- "Just getting ready to go out, how's your punch bag?"

R- "When he regained consciousness? Berserk, suicidal, and murderous. Now? Apologetic, guilty, and trying to redeem himself."

T- "Wow, what did I miss? He seemed normal earlier, well normal for him I guess."

R- "I don't want to talk about it... He's his own enemy right now."

T- "Aww... Is Rougey falling out with her bunk buddy?"

R- "Piss off T, you aren't funny."

T- "I thought you said he was the one kicking off? Don't take it out on me."

R- "I'm sorry, I'm just stressed."

T- "It's okay hun, right, I gotta go, the cab is here, love you!"

R- "Yeah, enjoy your night T."

Rouge dropped her phone onto the bed, and fell along with it, spread out staring at the ceiling. She still hadn't changed since she had got in, nor washed off Shadow's blood, a bath was in order.

Shadow was searching his cupboards finding plates and glasses, preparing for when the meal was finished, as he was just waiting for the pasta to boil. Amy walked in after he had set the table, before returning to his workstation.

A- "You okay?"

Sh- "It is under control, almost done."

A- "I wasn't talking about the food. Can you spare a minute?"

Sh- "Of course, what is it?"

A- "Can you do me a small favour?"

Sh- "If I am able to, sure. What do you need?"

A- "Don't let Rouge down again. You have to think of your life as not only your own, but also a part of it belongs to other people."

Sh- "I don't intend to, I'm sorry, how is she?"

A- "Wouldn't know, she took her phone into your room about ten minutes ago, not seen her since."

Sh- "I'll check on her soon, when this is finished."

Amy smiled and turned around to yet again leave Shadow to himself.

Sh- "Wait."

A- "Yes?"

Sh- "Would you mind staying? Just for a little bit. I could do with someone to talk to right now."

A- "If it helps you I'll be happy to, is there anything you need doing?"

Sh- "There's no rush but you could pour the drinks if you wish."

Shadow pointed to the table with his free hand, where a bottle of white wine was placed in the middle of the table.

A- "What's the occasion?"

Sh- "Rejuvenation and reconciliation."

A- "Erm... Okay..."

Shadow was finishing off the preparations by draining the water out of the pan into the sink. Amy sat down at one of the chairs, her small task now done.

A- "Are you still feeling pain from your wounds?"

Amy noticed the open box of tablets on the kitchen counter, which Shadow must have opened earlier.

Sh- "Rouge advised it, claiming it will numb the pain of the laceration."

A- "How many did you take?"

Sh- "Amy..."

A- "I was just checking, we're just worried that's all."

Sh- "I appreciate the concern, but it won't be needed any longer, there's no point in going down that road."

A- "That is good to hear." Amy smiled and stood back up, approaching the archway, which was in place instead of a door. "I'll go and tell Sonic and Katie it's ready."

Sh- "Very well."

Amy left Shadow momentarily before he followed her out, only after turning off the cooker. Amy entered the living room, while Shadow detoured past it, going into his own room.

No sign of Rouge. Shadow noticed a small pile of clothes just outside the door to his en-suite, indicating where she was clearly. Shadow hobbled over and knocked on the door.

Sh- "Rouge? Are you okay?"

R- "I'm fine, just having a nice bath."

Sh- "No problem, but the meal is ready, sorry to disturb you."

R- "Okay, I'll be out in a few minutes."

Shadow left his room to check on the others in the living room, which required a small trek down the candle lit hallway. Peering in he noticed that Katie was reading one of Rouge's magazines, while Sonic and Amy were having what looked to Shadow like a private conversation.

Sh- "Everything okay?"

Katie peered over her magazine, and then slipped back down after seeing who had just came in the room.

K- "All is well, at least for now it is."

Sh- "You ready to eat then?"

K- "We're waiting for Rouge, have you seen her?"

Sh- "Taking a bath, she'll be joining us soon."

Sonic looked over to the doorway, overhearing Shadow during his private conversation in the other side of the room.

So- "Guessing she didn't ask you to join her? Not surprised."

Just earlier today he would have received a second beating for that comment, but Shadow restrained himself and let it slide.

A- "Come and sit down Shadz, we were just discussing something that you should probably hear. Sonic will ask you about it later, there's no rush."

So- "Do I really need to tell him? I mean, as if it isn't risky enough."

A- "We went through this, how would you feel if you were in his shoes? Besides, you were told to ask both of them, not just Shadow."

Sh- "It's fine, right now I have nothing but time. Save it for when you are ready."

Shadow sat down on the single seat couch as its larger counterpart was currently in use. He took his phone from the table and visited his contacts, selecting one of the options within a contact.

HQ- "Good evening, G.U.N HQ head office, how may I be of service?"

Sh- "Agent Shadow. Is there any information on a power cut in my area?"

HQ- "Two seconds, let me track your location."

Shadow's glove on his right wrist let out a small beep, and a small red light started to flash.

HQ- "Right, I'll check any reports recently submitted in that area."

Sh- "Thank you."

HQ- "There is currently maintenance in progress on the power lines, it should be reconnected in about 12 hours time or so."

Sh- "That is all I need, thank you HQ."

HQ- "No problem Agent Shadow, anytime. Ending transmission."

Shadow ended the call, then looked to the table, to see the candle already a quarter closer to the tray beneath it.

Sh- "Power is going to be off until the morning, does that cause any complications?"

A- "It shouldn't do, but I guess there's nothing we can do about it is there?"

Sh- "We could always relocate somewhere else."

A- "You mean my house? I only have one bedroom..."

Sh- "Not the location I had in mind but it doesn't matter, we might as well endure the storm."

There was an awkward silence for the next few minutes, as Katie continued to read, Amy and Sonic continued their chat with whispers, and Shadow was laid back with his eyes closed, resting while he had a chance.

So- "How long is she going to take... Does she know that we haven't eaten in hours? The damn food is gonna get cold."

Sh- "Rouge needs rest. She did well earlier, and I'm surprised that she managed to beat me. She must have used up a bit of energy."

A- "I thought it was a tie?"

Sh- "In a fight there are no ties, if she didn't tell me to take off my inhibitor rings, I would have lost regardless. I underestimated her, and there may even be a new number one walking around HQ very soon."

K- "Retiring Shadz? Or are you gonna take up the commanders offer?"

Sh- "No, but I still haven't decided if I want to take him up on that offer, especially after today, I could see his disappointment."

A- "Why would he retire? He's only worked there for a few years."

K- "G.U.N isn't just a government organisation. They take bounties on the side if the targets are seen as a bad omen. The agents that are assigned these certain missions take a small portion of the claimed bounty, isn't that what you told me Shadz?"

Sh- "Well it was meant to stay on the down low, but yes, it's true."

K- "Then you put two and two together, and you get a hell of a lot more than four if you catch my drift."

A- "Explains the house and car, but what about Rouge, isn't she always with you on missions?"

Sh- "With Chaos Control, HQ request I do multiple assignments at once while out on the field, some standard, and some targets. Targets are usually assigned to my communicator when we're taking care of something else at the time."

R- "And HQ would rather only pay out to one agent rather than have the burden of two."

Shadow opened his eyes and turned his head to see Rouge standing next to him, obviously finishing her bath and drying off quickly.

Sh- "Rouge."

R- "Don't just sit there, are we gonna eat or what?"

Sh- "As you wish, everyone else ready?"

Everyone stood up, and followed Rouge, who had changed into a scarlet red dress, which hugged her curves tightly, not casual dinner wear for sure.

Upon entering the kitchen, everyone but Shadow took a seat, as he began to serve the meal.

So- "Didn't lace it with poison or add a hint of cyanide did you?"

A- "Sonic, we talked about this..."

Sh- "It's okay Amy, let him get it off his chest, I deserve as much."

A- "You can't just ignore everything people say about you, have some self respect."

Shadow brought two bowls to the table, one with the pasta and the other with the sauce, allowing everyone to take what they wanted.

R- "Thank you Shadow."

So- "Don't thank him for it; anyone could throw down a meal. He's trying to make it up to us."

K- "Give it a rest will you? He didn't have to go out of his way to cook."

Everybody tucked in to Shadow's treat, drinking their wine along with it, which was quite strong yet still tingly on the throat. All but one showed happiness toward the meal, Sonic. Shadow noticed that Sonic had finished his plate and was just staring at him.

Sh- "Is something wrong?"

So- "Not at all."

Sh- "Help yourself to more if you want it."

So- "I'd rather not fill myself up to lose it all later."

Sh- "What do you mean?"

Shadow looked around the table, to see everybody looking at him with concerned expressions.

K- "Well... Don't know if you remember but you and Rouge bought drinks this morning?"

Sh- "You still want to have a house party? Even after earlier?"

A- "Of course. Just forget about what happened okay?"

Shadow had finished himself, so he stood up and walked around to Sonic, removing his plate and taking it to the sink, still not convincing the cobalt hedgehog.

So- "Shadow, I need to have a talk with you about something. Can you step outside for a few minutes?"

Sh- "Give me a second then."

Sonic walked out of the room, and left through the front door, to wait in the garden.

Sh- "Best get this over with..."

A- "He's not going to touch you Shadz; he just needs to ask you a favour. Take a few beers out with you and just give him your honest opinion."

Sh- "Thanks Amy."

Shadow walked over to the fridge, and withdrew four relatively cold beers, which weren't at the optimum temperature for serving, but they would suffice.

Leaving the rest to finish, Shadow followed Sonic's journey and left the house, to meet with his rival outside sitting on a low wall.


	32. Chapter 32 - One's true feelings

Chapter 32 - One's true feelings

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Sh- "You okay?"

So- "I'll be asking you the same thing soon."

Sh- "So you are pissed at me, I knew it."

Sonic turned around to see Shadow walk up to him and hand him two of the drinks, which he accepted.

So- "No, I need your permission for something, as much as I hate the concept."

Sh- "And what would that be?"

So- "Your boss got into contact with me just before you and Rouge got back. He told me how you aren't ready for the field any time soon."

Sh- "This is just what I need..."

So- "I haven't even told you yet."

Sh- "He's sacking me, is that it?"

Shadow had already uncapped the bottle, and started to down it in sorrow, whilst now sitting on the same wall as Sonic.

So- "Why would he specifically tell me? No, he wants to offer me a job."

Sh- "Congratulations, are you going to take it?"

So- "The job he is offering me, is to temporarily join Squad One."

Shadow looked down to his feet, again wishing that Katie didn't stop him in his tracks earlier.

Sh- "I see..."

So- "I need both yours and Rouge's permission to get the green light. I'm willing to give it a go if you'll allow it."

Sh- "I... I don't know."

So- "I understand. It would be similar if you became Tails' newest best friend, I'd hate you for it. But it wouldn't be down to one person, it's a three person decision."

Sh- "Have you asked Rouge yet?"

So- "Just before you woke up earlier while we were having a bit of fun with that board game, she said she doesn't mind. It's down to you."

Sh- "I'll allow it, if you promise me one thing."

So- "And that is?"

Sh- "Don't put her in harm's way... Take care of her."

So- "Come on Shadz, she beat the shit out of you this morning from what we heard."

Sh- "That was training; We made a promise to each other, if it gets too risky, get out of there."

Sonic had already finished his first bottle, and then moved onto the second.

So- "She'll be okay. You have my word."

Sh- "Thank you."

So- "No problem, but I have to ask you something, why did you really buy those dice? I'm not buying that "taste" bullshit."

Sh- "I... I wanted to buy her a car for her birthday, but I guess that gesture is out the window now."

Sonic started laughing to himself, earning a confused look from Shadow.

Sh- "What's the matter?"

So- "You are such a loser you know that? Why won't you admit it to yourself..."

Sh- "Admit what?"

So- "Come on... As if you don't know."

Sh- "Seriously, what? Is she using me?"

So- "Not that, idiot... You love her.

Sh- "Don't be daft. You know I'm as cold as the beer you are drinking."

So- "Feels pretty warm to me... All the evidence points to it Shadz, just agree with me."

Sh- "Evidence? Now you're making it up."

So- "Oh you know, the only person you show kindness to, you let her live with you... Oh, not to mention you let her sleep with you... To be fair I think she enjoyed that too though."

Sonic looked toward Shadow, who was gazing at the stars in the night sky, only appearing due to no lights turned on in the area.

Sh- "Beautiful... Isn't it?"

So- "You have to tell her. She is waiting for the same feelings to be returned to her. Rouge told us about that sunset... You really are soft, you know that, right?"

Sh- "Whatever you say Faker... You're probably just jealous of us..."

So- "So you admit it then? You're made for each other?"

Sh- "Give it a rest will you? She's more of a sister anyway..."

So- "They have a word for that, it's called incest."

Sh- "I'm going back inside, it's getting cold."

So- "Rougey will warm you up if you ask nicely; have a nice little cuddle in your room later."

Shadow stood up, picked up his bottles and headed inside, flipping the bird over his shoulder to Sonic who watched him walk back into the house.

So- "So gullible..."

Sonic shortly followed him inside, to find Shadow had rejoined the others who had moved into the living room, with the coffee table cluttered with alcohol.

A- "About time you got back, I'm assuming you asked him?"

So- "Mmhmm. And surprisingly he said yes, under one condition..."

Sh- "Don't you dare."

So- "Don't worry I'm not gonna tell them, just wanted to see you embarrassed is all."

A- "So you're gonna take the job?"

So- "I have little choice; the money is way too much to turn down."

Sh- "Just remember what I told you and you'll be fine."

K- "Shadz, would you flip if Sonic became the new top agent?"

Sh- "I could always persuade the commander to change the result, if he is still the commander at the time."

Shadow gave out a small smirk, knowing at any given time he could take a higher position, and be in charge of all of G.U.N's finest.

R- "Can we stop talking and just get smashed guys? I've been looking forward to this all day."

So- "Shadow, no taking advantage later got it?"

Shadow let out a small growl, making the other four laugh at his agitated state.

As the night went on, the supplies ran low, as did the frequency of audible speech. Katie broke down into tears thinking Kronos was coming back, and Sonic was challenging Shadow to a few contests, each ending with Sonic as the victor.

So- "Who said you were so ultimate eh?"

Sh- "Shut up..."

So- "How about we go again, with stakes?"

Sh- "I'm not that hungry for those..."

So- "No... Wagers, you know, a bet."

Sh- "As long as it's fair sure."

Shadow was a lightweight when it came to drinking; Sonic knew this and took advantage of him while he could.

So- "Okay. Truth or dare."

Shadow's face dropped. Even his drunk personality knew what was coming, and he did not like it one bit.

Sh- "Can't we play something else? Poker maybe?"

So- "Oh no, you agreed to this."

A- "Come on Shadz it's just a bit of fun."

Sh- "Indulging in someone's thoughts isn't fun..."

R- "You're right, it's hilarious."

K- "Come on Shadz... It's not like you're the only one playing."

Sh- "Fine..."

Shadow sat down on the couch, next to Rouge, while Sonic sat on the other couch, leaving Amy and Katie sitting on the floor.

K- "I'll start with Amy, and we'll go round from there."

A- "Go for it then."

K- "Truth or dare?"

A- "Truth."

K- "Erm... Right. What is your most embarrassing moment in your life so far?"

A- "Oh god... I would have to say when me and Rouge went clothe shopping a few months ago, somebody walked in on me in the changing rooms."

R- "And that is why I don't wear them at the store..."

K- "Okay Ames, your go..."

A- "Sonic, truth or dare?"

So- "Screw it, truth."

A- "What is the thing you hate most about me?"

Shadow started to chuckle to himself at that, Sonic was gonna get it big time.

So- "Oh, well... Erm... You're a bit nosy at times..."

A- "I am not! I just... Like knowing things about people... Right, it's your turn now."

So- "Oh Shaddy... Truth or dare?"

Sh- "Tru-"

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that one again, he has another thing coming."

Sh- "Dare."

A smile made its way onto Sonic's face, which made Shadow cringe at the thought of what he had to do.

So- "You dug yourself a hole there bud. Now to bury you. I dare you... To give the person sitting next to you a kiss."

Shadow turned his head, to see a blushing Rouge looking back at him.

Sh- "You are such a bastard..."

So- "So you forfeit? Remember we have a bet riding on this game..."

Sh- "I didn't say I was forfeiting, nor did I say I'll do it."

R- "What is your problem? You're just going to let Sonic win?"

Sh- "I don't have a choice do I?!"

R- "Oh really... Come here..."

Rouge put her hand on Shadow's cheek pulling his head toward her, closing her eyes and planting her lips on his. Shadow was shocked, but closed his eyes too, giving in to the sensation he was feeling. Rouge broke the kiss after a few seconds, and turned to Sonic, with an evil smile on her face.

R- "Bad luck Sonic, you're not getting him out that easy."

Sh- "What just happened..."

A- "Erm... Shadow, it's your go now..."

Sh- "Okay... Ro- Rouge, truth or dare?"

R- "Dare."

"I dare you to do that again..." Shadow thought, giving in to his emotions.

Sh- "Five shots in thirty seconds..."

The game kept going, and about two cycles later, it came to Amy to test Sonic again. The fool chose dare.

R- "Ames, get him out now, get a little payback on him."

A- "I dare you to kiss Shadow the same way he kissed Rouge."

So- "No way!"

Sh- "What's the matter Faker? Can't do it?"

So- "Fine... You win." Sonic admitted his defeat and crossed his arms in a strop.

Sh- "I'll come up with your punishment later. I'm calling it a night now."

K- "See ya in the morning Shadz, or afternoon if it's a bad one!"

Sh- "Night."

Shadow left the other four and headed for his room, head spinning and stomach not feeling too healthy.

The games had stopped in the living room, and conversations had started in place of them.

K- "Aww is Sonic in a mood?"

So- "No. But that was a stupid dare Amy. You just gave him the win."

A- "He would have done it if it meant staying in; you just didn't take the chance."

So- "Because I didn't want Rouge's sloppy seconds..."

Rouge was still a bit embarrassed about earlier, the alcohol must have made her more impulsive than she would have liked.

K- "How was it Rouge?"

So- "Probably tasted like the souls of a thousand dead babies..."

R- "I'm gonna go and get some fresh air... I'll be back soon."

Rouge left the room in a hurry, hating herself for what she did, and needed to get away from everyone's presence.

So- "Now isn't that cute, she just made a lie so she could go and see her boyfriend..."

A- "What do you mean?"

So- "Unless the front door has moved, she's either heading for the bathroom, Katie's room, or more than likely Shadz' room."

Rouge opened the door, finding nobody else in the room, and an empty bed. The candles had almost died out on the bedside tables, the only source of light in the room.

_Bleeeugghhh_

Rouge heard an awful noise coming from Shadow's bathroom, and took it upon herself to investigate. She opened the door to see Shadow hunched over the toilet with his hand over his mouth.

R- "I wasn't that bad was I?"

Sh- "Sonic... He was right about the food."

R- "You gonna be alright?"

Sh- "I've been worse..."

Shadow spun his head back around and let out another load, more violent than the last.

Sh- "I'm sorry..."

R- "Don't be, silly..."

A familiar trail of blood emerged from Shadow's mouth, travelling down to his chin.

R- "Shadow... Are you hurt?"

Sh- "It's hard to say no when you had the shit beat out of you this morning. It's just a cut gum, it will be fine."

Shadow spat a mouthful of blood into the toilet, stood up then flushed it.

Sh- "Were you looking for me by any chance then?"

R- "Ye- Yeah... I... I came to say sorry..."

Sh- "What for?"

R- "I didn't mean to embarrass you; just I'm a little dru-"

Sh- "I wasn't embarrassed."

R- "Wait, what?"

Sh- "I said I wasn't embarrassed, why? Are you?"

R- "Well yeah..."

Sh- "Why?"

Rouge looked up to see Shadow walking towards her, with a small smirk, and a seductive look in his eyes.

Sh- "I see... You don't feel that way about me, is that it?"

R- "Yes... I mean no... I mean... I do but..."

Sh- "Rouge, be honest."

R- "It's not that simple."

Sh- "I know how you feel. You hate me."

R- "No th-"

Sh- "You hate me, who I am, yet you don't at the same time."

R- "I don't hate you, you're my friend."

Sh- "That wasn't how a friend would kiss someone. Come on, I'm the one who needs help here not you."

Shadow put his arms around Rouge and gave her a strong hug, letting her know that he did feel the same way.

Sh- "Sonic made me realise it earlier, when he told me that he will be taking my place for a bit. You want to know what I asked him to do for me?"

R- "What?"

Sh- "I didn't care that it was my post he was filling, all I asked from him was to keep you safe."

R- "Shadow..."

Sh- "I'm sure you're a bit confused... With me letting you drive... Buying you some little dice... That's because I was going to buy you your own car, for your birthday."

R- "You what?!"

Sh- "What's wrong?"

Shadow let go of Rouge, who didn't know what to feel right now, she had waited for this moment for ages, yet here it is and she has stage fright.

Sh- "Look, I'm gonna head off to bed, take as much time to think as you need."

Shadow stepped past Rouge, on his way out of the bathroom, before feeling a short tug on his arm. Rouge had grabbed his hand as he walked by, causing him to come to a stop.

Sh- "Yes Rouge?"

Rouge put her hand on Shadow's cheek pulling his head toward her own, giving him another kiss, but this time Shadow was prepared, and touched her cheek in return. This one lasted almost three times as long, but had a bigger effect than a thousand words ever could.

Sh- "Hah, déjà vu..."

R- "Mind if I crash in here again tonight?"

Sh- "That's not my call to make anymore."

Shadow turned back to face the door, leaving to get into bed and get some rest. Rouge put out the flame with a strong breath and closed the door, joining Shadow in his bedroom.

Rouge extinguished the candle on the bedside table nearest her side of the bed and got in to the bed with Shadow after a few minutes, Shadow knowing what she had just done.

R- "No quarrel with underwear tonight then?"

Sh- "I guess not..."

R- "It wasn't too comfortable last night, it was quite cold."

Sh- "I'm going to change the quilts over tomorrow for a thicker one, or I could do it now if you want."

R- "It's okay, I'll just move over a bit."

Sh- "Okay..."

Rouge wriggled closer to Shadow, almost touching him, and close enough to feel each other's skin irradiating heat. Shadow felt the same as he did last night, comfortable with someone next to him. But this time was different...

Sh- "Rouge are you nak-"

R- "Shh... Just let it happen and go to sleep."

Sh- "Hah... Okay then... Good night..."


	33. Chapter 33 - Expressions

Chapter 33 - Expressions

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

The morning came too soon, with hangovers all around. Shadow was the first one to wake up; his head thumping, but nothing had escaped his mind from the previous night. An arm had made its way over his chest, which belonged to a silently sleeping Rouge, to which Shadow could only smile at. He turned his phone on which was on the bedside table, to find he had a message from Rouge's partner in crime Topaz.

"Tell Rouge to answer my texts and get off her lazy ass."

Shadow replied telling Topaz that she was still asleep from last night, asking what she wanted from Rouge.

"That's none of your business is it? You had better not have hurt her from what I heard yesterday."

Shadow didn't get along too well with Topaz, funnily enough she didn't trust him, expecting him to go rogue against G.U.N at any time, as he hasn't settled his vendetta with them from the past. Topaz was demoted a while back, due to abuse of her position. She had authorised torture of an informant to get the exact truth out of them, and they turned out to be innocent, already telling G.U.N everything they knew. Shadow could see she was still a bit sour about it, seeing as Shadow has been with G.U.N for a shorter time than Topaz and has already excelled past her level.

Shadow put his phone back onto the table, and took in his surroundings, first of all checking the time on the digital clock.

1:48PM

"We're going to regret this tonight..." He thought, knowing everyone would have trouble sleeping later on. Shadow got up carefully, making sure he didn't wake Rouge, picked up his phone and headed for the living room, which was awfully quiet, and quite a mess. The couch had no cushions, as they were scattered around the room, one of them had an occupant on top of it however.

Sonic was asleep and softly snoring on the floor, with a few bottles around him. Shadow started clearing up a few bottles and replacing some of the cushions so he could take a seat. He picked up the TV remote and flicked it on, power now restored in the area.

Sh- "Let's see how bad your hangover is blue boy."

Shadow plugged his phone in to a docking station, and moved it nearer to Sonic who was still passed out on the floor.

Sh- "What song to choose... There we go... Whispers in the dark. Shame it won't sound much like a whisper Faker, enjoy."

Shadow smirked and pressed play as the music began gently, not phasing Sonic, and then came the riff. Sonic jumped up, almost knocking Shadow out with a head butt.

So- "What the hell are you doing?!"

Sonic held his head as it began ringing, the effects slowly kicking in.

Sh- "This is only part of our little wager from last night... Now get up, It's two o'clock."

So- "You said you were going to change."

Sh- "I will change. Does that mean I am not allowed to have a bit of fun?"

So- "I didn't know that you understood the concept of that word."

Sh- "More than you know Sonic... Much happen after I left?"

So- "About two minutes after to be precise, Rouge ran out to get some "fresh air", and didn't come back, something I should know Casanova?

Sh- "No. Need a glass of water or something?" Shadow blushed a little bit.

So- "Kill for one... Don't have any Paracetamols do you?"

Sh- "You're asking me of all people, if I have any pain killers? Idiot..."

Shadow walked into the kitchen to get a drink for Sonic, when colliding with somebody else, who was sat at the table, planting their face into it.

Sh- "For fuck sake... Don't you people have rooms..?"

Katie was the person in question, passed out with a bottle barely stood upright in her hand. Shadow withdrew two glasses from the cupboards, and filled them both with water, returning to the living room with them.

So- "Thanks bud... Is anyone else up?"

Sh- "No, but come with me, we'll change that."

Sonic stood up and followed Shadow back to the kitchen, also noticing Katie asleep on the table.

So- "You're not drinking that water are you..."

Sh- "Nope."

Shadow approached Katie and held the glass over her head, pouring every last drop on to her.

K- "Come on... I was having a nice dream..."

Sh- "It was either that or have your ear drums burst. Just wanted to add a little variation. How did you fall asleep in here of all places?"

K- "Like I remember... It was only what... Nine hours ago or so..."

Sh- "Well get up and get ready, we're going out later."

So- "Where to?"

Sh- "Just a small place a few blocks away, we'll go for a late dinner."

So- "Well I didn't bring any money, I didn't expect to be going out while chilling here."

Sh- "It's on me then, go and find your pink double, make sure she's ready by about four?"

So- "Can we make it a bit later? Me and Katie actually know how to party unlike you..."

Sh- "Your choice, come and get me when you've decided."

Shadow went back to his room, dropping the noise levels after he closed the door and climbed back into his bed. Rouge was still asleep, and hopefully Shadow would be too in a few minutes, his body still a bit numb, but otherwise recovering excessively.

His side of the bed was still a bit warm, but the heat coming from Rouge's side was too tempting, causing him to shuffle closer while trying not to disturb her. He closed his eyes, dropping off to sleep almost instantly.

Another hour had passed, making it just a few minutes past three, and Rouge was beginning to wake up, starting with a yawn and a stretch of her legs. When she tried standing up, she was stopped by a restraint holding her in place. Shadow had his arms around her waist, like a child with a teddy bear.

R- "Looks like I'm not going anywhere then..."

Rouge picked up her phone from the table and turned it on, receiving message after message from Topaz telling her to reply or wake up. After an eventual reply, Topaz called Rouge up. Luckily her phone was on silent, not causing much noise.

R- "What is it?"

T- "Just wanted to check on you that's all. I got a bit worried after you told me that he was going mad yesterday."

R- "Well I'm fine, I have him under control."

T- "I doubt that..."

R- "Why's that?"

T- "He's probably out picking fights with people as we speak."

R- "No... He's right here, I'll show you."

Rouge outstretched her arm and took a photo of herself and Shadow, which she sent to Topaz while still in the call.

R- "Get it?"

T- "What the hell are you doing?!"

R- "What's wrong?"

T- "You slept with him?!"

R- "You weren't so surprised yesterday, what's the difference?"

T- "No, I mean you "slept" slept with him... I thought you told me he was a false hope."

R- "T, I didn't "sleep" sleep with him, at least I can't remember anything happening..."

T- "Why the hell are you naked then? And why does he have his arm over you?"

R- "He's just being friendly T... Would you rather have him be a miserable grump all the time?"

T- "Look, if he hurts you, I'm gonna report him to the commander, he'll be out of there quicker than he can run."

R- "Why can't you just relax hun? I can look after myself you know..."

T- "Well I have to get back to work; some of us don't have the luxury of lying down with our crush all day..."

R- "Bye T... Don't work too hard; your brain will go past its small capacity."

Rouge put her phone down, and turned around to look at Shadow, who was in his most peaceful state, but was starting to move about, either unsettled or he was starting to wake up. Rouge saw him awaken, revealing a pair of calm crimson eyes.

R- "Well well, look who is up..."

Sh- "Good morning..."

R- "How was your night?"

Sh- "The best sleep I've had in a while, I know that. Your girlfriend wants to speak to you as well, said it's important."

R- "I just had a chat with her there; she's having a drag of a day at the office."

Sh- "Fancy going for a meal later? The others are coming if you feel like some fine dining."

R- "I'd love it. A nice final day of luxury before having to go back to work. I'll most likely be teaching Sonic the ropes tomorrow anyway if the commander chooses to hire him there and then."

Sh- "I've already told him his most important objective, he should be fine."

R- "Erm... Shadz, mind if I get up?"

Rouge looked down at Shadow's arms, which were still around her, causing Shadow to blush.

Sh- "Oh, sorry..."

R- "You are such a baby..."

Rouge got out of bed, quickly putting on one of Shadow's robes that she had borrowed from his en-suite.

R- "Are you gonna get up any time soon then?"

Sh- "Well there's no point in staying in here anymore is there?"

Shadow joined Rouge who had left for the living room, to discuss what was happening later. As Shadow entered, Amy was present this time, and not one happy face among them, except Rouge who was the only cheery one in the bunch.

Sh- "You all look like hell."

So- "What, we look worse than you now?"

Sh- "You've always looked worse than me... Now, have you told Amy? Or has she not been switched on yet?"

A- "Yeah I heard, but I'm not going out like this..."

K- "So Rouge, enjoy the fresh air?"

R- "Mind your own business..."

K- "Now that's not very nice, can you not pull on your nights out or what? Resorting to Shadow... Typical."

R- "Excuse me?"

K- "Ugh... Let me make it simple for you. Rouge... Can't... Pull... Sleeps with... Best friend..."

R- "I didn't sleep with him. Not that it is any of your business."

K- "Like hell you didn't. You just want to get him sacked. Earn all of the money for yourself."

R- "Who do you think you are?! You don't even know any of us, don't waltz into our lives and think you're a part of it bitch..."

Sh- "Rouge, leave it. Katie, show some gratitude."

K- "Gratitude? What has _she _done for me? She's using you Shadow."

Sh- "Katie..."

R- "I'm using him?! Tell me, what the fuck are you doing here then?!"

K- "Not trying to show him false feelings. You're gonna make him more deranged than he already was to begin with!"

"Enough!"

A silence fell in the room, as Shadow was pushed past his breaking point. A cold glare given to anyone who looked at him, he started to shake, barely in control of his anger.

K- "Well Sonic, looks like he popped in less than 24 hours, no surprise there."

Shadow's head shot round to look at Katie, still in her cocky mood.

Sh- "What did I just say Katie? Enough. That is your second warning."

K- "So what I said isn't true?"

Sh- "Silence."

K- "Actually, you two would make a good pair in my opinion, a psychopath... And a whore."

Rouge was about to charge at Katie, but Shadow restrained her, preventing her from going any further by sticking an arm out.

Sonic and Amy were sat there trying not to make eye contact with any of them, in fear of getting involved.

Sh- "Apologise. Now."

K- "Pfft... I'm saying what everyone else is thinking, I just have the guts to say it."

A- "That's not true, neither me nor Sonic feel that way toward either of them."

Sh- "I think it would be best if you leave Katie."

K- "Don't disturb me then, let me get some sleep."

Sh- "I meant leave as in "Go through that front door right now and have a good long think." kind of leave."

K- "You're kicking me out? That's a bit hypocritical isn't it? You were ready to tear Sonic limb from limb just last night and you're still here.

Sh- "I apologised and I offered to leave. I suggest you do the same before you make it any worse."

Katie stood up, looked Shadow in the eyes, and then snapped her head around to Rouge, stood just behind him.

K- "Fine."

Katie walked past Shadow, making him move out of the way to avoid contact, then walked to the front door, slamming it behind her as she left.

R- "Jumped up little bitch... We should of let Kronos keep her."

Sh- "Rouge. Drop it."

Shadow headed for the garage, his destination being the back garden, which could only be accessed by a door located at the back of the garage. He hadn't been out to do some exercise since Katie shown up. The other three remained in shock, and tears started to well up in Rouge's eyes.

A- "What's the matter?"

R- "She was so mean... Nothing she was saying was true..."

A- "We know, don't worry about it... You'll be okay."

R- "It's not me I'm worried about... What if Shadow believed her?"

Rouge was deep into Amy's shoulder, receiving a few pats on the back, but she still wouldn't stop crying.

So- "If Shadow believed her, why would she end up being thrown out? I'll talk to him, just cheer up okay?"

Shadow was working on his jabs, striking a punching bag he had set up on the tree that resides in his garden, relieving himself of all aggression.

Sh- "What came over her..."

With one last stroke, Shadow made a small puncture in the bag, before leaving it to go and sort some things out back inside.

He re-entered the garage, then the hallway, which was much brighter than it was the last time he came out of the garage, when he was shrouded in darkness.

So- "Where'd you go off to?"

Sh- "Get some exercise. What's up?"

So- "Look, you don't believe what she said right?"

Sh- "Of course not, why?"

So- "Rouge is in tears... Katie really got to her."

Shadow walked past Sonic and barged into the living room, finding Rouge sitting next to Amy, going through a box of tissues in quick succession. Rouge looked up to see Shadow, which seemed to cheer her up a bit.

Sh- "Come here."

Rouge complied and stood up, to which he embraced Rouge in a hug.

Sh- "It's okay, stop crying. You're stronger than this."

R- "I'm sorry..."

Sh- "You didn't do anything wrong, except care too much. Just let it go."

R- "What she said..."

Sh- "It was all untrue, I know. If it was true I think I would know by now. Still up for going out tonight?"

R- "I don't know..."

Sh- "Well it's up to you in the end, I can stay here and watch a film with you or something."

So- "And what about us then?"

Shadow looked round to Sonic, with a look giving the impression he was saying "Shut up you idiot."

So- "Sorry..."

R- "You don't have to stay here just because of me."

Sh- "What if I want to?"

Sonic rolled his eyes, wishing he never even tried to get them together in the first place, not knowing Shadow would have the same affection as Knuckles did with the Master Emerald.

A- "I don't mind whatever happens, if we don't go out I can cook us something up."

Sh- "We'll see..."

The clock hit 7pm, and no reservations were made anywhere, meaning it was another night in, this time Amy was cooking for them, but only for four this time.

So- "Think she has found somewhere to go?"

Sh- "She told me she knew a few people, I'm sure they'll let her stay for a bit. What Katie said was out of order, until she realises that, she'll have to abide."

So- "So... I'm going to see G.U.N tomorrow, anything I should know?"

Sh- "Well the guard at the main reception will pretty much tell you all you need to know, his name is Larry, doesn't stop following me around."

So- "And the commander?"

Sh- "Just be honest with him. Not much more to it."

Sonic and Shadow were in the living room with a few beers watching sports on the TV, both of course favouring the teams that had a corresponding rival.

Rouge was sitting in the kitchen while Amy was making a meal.

A- "So what happened last night, after you left?"

R- "I went to go and find Shadz to apologise for Sonic's dare, but found him throwing up pasta everywhere."

A- "Why apologise?"

R- "He asked the same thing, I thought I embarrassed him in front of everyone."

A- "Then what?"

R- "He told me the truth..."

So- "What's the most dangerous assignment you've been given so far then?"

Sh- "Ugh... Don't remind me."

So- "What?"

Sh- "This one... Makes all the assassinations and reconnaissance missions look like a walk in the park. I was ordered to disarm an armed nuclear missile in less than 2 minutes."

So- "Damn..."

Sh- "That's not the full thing though, oh no. It was 2 minutes when I arrived at the airfield itself, which was filled with mechs..."

So- "Who did it belong to?"

Sh- "Take a guess, G.U.N's number one priority."

So- "Egg for brains?"

Sh- "Yep... The idiot didn't even know it was armed."

A- "Think Sonic will fit in there?"

R- "Don't see why not, there are a few cafeterias in HQ, I'm sure he'll just be eating half of the time anyway."

A- "Well keep an eye on him... And do not let him harass you okay?"

R- "Haha, I'll try not to."

Amy had prepared tonight's meal, which they ate in the living room instead, while arguing about what to watch on TV.

R- "Just put the news on... It has more importance than this..."

Sh- "More important than the Metropolis home game? You need your head looking at."

R- "It was on Monday! It's a repeat of what you've already seen!"

Sh- "And I want to watch it again okay? Sonic, back me up on this one."

So- "Why would we want to watch Metropolis? They suck."

Sh- "Better than Empire city..."

So- "We outplayed you every single game last season! I thought you had an unlimited knowledge bank, is it clouded or something?"

Sh- "Any team can pass it around the back and rely on one player to win it for them, we actually make plays."

Amy picked up the TV remote, and switched it off, getting an instant response from the others

R, So, Sh- "Hey!"

A- "If you can't decide what to watch, settle with nothing."

Sh- "We were ten up in the third quarter!"

A- "And in the end you lost by just four points, hope you enjoyed the game folks."

Sh- "Grr..."

So- "Oh just shut up and eat, unlike you I need all the energy I can get for tomorrow."

R- "There's no guarantee you're gonna be initiated that quick, slow down before you choke."

After the meal, Amy took everybody's plate back to the kitchen, then returned a few moments later with her coat and a small bag filled with clothes.

Sh- "Doing laundry?"

A- "We're gonna go back home for a bit, give you a break Shadz, and we probably have some things to do."

So- "We are?"

A- "Yes... We've stayed a bit longer than we should have with such short notice."

Sh- "I don't mind, but if you want to come back make sure you call me up first, I probably won't be here in the summer."

Sonic finished his drink and stood up, joining Amy in her hugs and goodbyes to Shadow and Rouge, who were the last two left from the five there this morning. As they left, Shadow and Rouge remained in the living room while Amy drove off.

R- "Just us two now... Want anything else to eat? I'm still a bit hungry."

Shadow just sat there, lost in his own mind, not knowing Rouge had spoken to him.

R- "Shadz?"

Sh- "Sorry... Just a bit worried about Katie, I'm hoping she isn't hurt."

R- "We all are... Don't beat yourself up about it. If she had nowhere else to stay, she would come back here first."

Sh- "I need to go and look for her..."

R- "Not at this time of night you aren't. Don't worry about her, she's fine."

Rouge handed Shadow another beer, his sixth of the night already.

R- "Besides, me and you need a little chat."

Sh- "About what?"

R- "About this car you're getting me..."

Sh- "Oh.."

R- "I was kidding... I want to know what you meant last night, or was it the drink talking?"

Sh- "Remind me?"

R- "You mentioned Sonic, saying he made you realise something."

Sh- "Now is not the right time for that... Another day maybe."

R- "Oh you'll tell me right now mister, or face punishment."

Shadow took another sip from his bottle, not intimidated by Rouge's so called threat.

R- "Don't say I didn't warn you..."

Rouge jumped on Shadow, making him drop his beer onto the floor, while almost crushing him simultaneously.

Sh- "Rouge wh- get off!"

R- "What's the matter? Have I found your biggest weakness already?"

Rouge started tickling Shadow, who was helpless beneath her, laughing yet growling at the same time.

Sh- "Cuh... Chaos... Control!"

Shadow dematerialized, causing Rouge to fall onto the couch, reappearing a few feet away from the couch on his feet.

R- "That's not fair..."

Sh- "You're gonna pay for that... And you spilled my beer..."

R- "Oops... Did I do that?"

Shadow smiled, and then ran out of the room, Rouge immediately giving chase. After a small pursuit, ending in the master bedroom, Rouge entered the room, closing the door behind her.

R- "Where are you hiding..."

A few glances around the room, but nothing was out of place or moving.

R- "You cover your tracks well... But your noise is your only flaw."

Rouge pulled the quilts up, which were hanging over the sides of the bed like a dress.

R- "Found you."

Shadow was scrunched into a ball underneath the bed, one eye open to see Rouge looking straight at him.

Sh- "I've never been found that quickly..."

Rouge thought why or when Shadow would have ever of played hide and seek, then remembered the ARK. Maria practically grew up with Shadow, most likely playing games and just talking the days away.

R- "Get out of there scaredy..."

Sh- "Why should I? You're only gonna pester me."

R- "Fine, I think I'll be leaving too then, maybe I could stay with Knux for a bit."

Sh- "You wouldn't."

R- "Bye Shadz..."

Rouge walked out of the bedroom and headed for the front door, which she opened, then shut violently. Shadow scuttled out from under the bed as quickly as he could, running to the hallway.

Sh- "Rouge!"

Shadow stopped in his tracks, almost falling backwards at the sudden stop.

R- "You seriously fell for that?"

Rouge was standing in the hallway near the door, up to her usual tricks.

Sh- "That is cruel, you know that? You know I can't stand him... The thought of you even speaking to him makes my blood boil."

R- "Somebody is jealous..."

Sh- "Yeah, you will be soon. Enjoy the couch tonight, I'm going to MY bed, see you in the morning batgirl."

R- "Your bed? What makes you think that?"

Sh- "Why would it be yours hmm?"

R- "I thought we had a... Mutual agreement?"

Sh- "About what?" Shadow smirked, teasing Rouge into saying that certain phrase first. "There are plenty of other beds here, why mine?"

R- "Ours. And because you would only come crawling back to me for company anyway..."

Sh- "Well I was serious about getting some sleep, I'm gonna be up early in the morning."

R- "Why?"

Sh- "I'm going in to work to see the boss, I have a proposition for him."

R- "Well you might as well go at the same time as me; I need to be present at the meeting."

Sh- "Anyways, night."

R- "Night Shadz, I'll be joining you soon."

Shadow turned and headed back to his room, not yet winning the battle against Rouge so he'll retreat for now. Getting into bed, it took a little longer than usual to get to sleep, it was also colder, but after about twenty minutes, he had fallen asleep, while Rouge was in the living room having a chat with Topaz.


	34. Chapter 34 - The flame of rivalry

Chapter 34 - The flame of rivalry still burns strong

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Alarm was blaring, head slightly concussed, joints aching. This is what a normal morning was like for Shadow before he had company and responsibilities. The amount of mornings he had woke up in a bad mood and thrown the alarm clock are endless. It had just passed six, the standard time he would awaken to embrace another pointless day at G.U.N.

R- "Ugh... Turn it off... I need my beauty sleep..."

Sh- "Yeah you do... Come on, get up and I'll do us something to eat before we head out."

R- "Fine... But I'm hitting the shower first."

Shadow got out of the bed first, about to leave the room before noticing Rouge still hadn't even moved yet.

Sh- "Rouge... Up. Now."

R- "Let me have just one more dream..."

Sh- "Oh well, I guess the large delivery that I have had sent to HQ will have to wait for another day..."

Rouge shot up instantly, almost tearing off the covers and looking at Shadow wide eyed.

Sh- "Oh the irony is killing me... How did you fall for that?"

Shadow walked out of the room laughing, while Rouge slumped back down with a pillow over her head.

Rouge eventually got up after a few minutes of plotting vengeance for a false promise and went into the bathroom, while Shadow was in the kitchen frying up breakfast. His morning routine usually consisted of suffering the consequences of having no sleep the previous night, then leaving for work at the last minute.

Rouge would usually get up at about half five, have a long bath, spend another half an hour on top of that getting ready, and then getting something to eat at HQ.

Shadow finished the fry up, and left it on the cooker at a low temperature to maintain the heat, while he went to the living room to catch up on some TV. Rouge had finally finished in the bathroom by now, fully dressed with her usual combat clothing, cargo pants and tank top, and joined Shadow in the living room, who had his feet up on the table and looked almost dead.

R- "I thought you were cooking?"

Sh- "I was, and I finished."

R- "Then why aren't you eating?"

Sh- "Because that's not how it works is it?"

R- "You're telling me you waited for me to finish before eating?"

Sh- "It's a traditional routine is it not? Just shut up and sit down."

Shadow got up and headed for the kitchen, Rouge taking his place on the couch.

He returned with two plates, setting them both on the table beside each other.

Sh- "Want a drink? Orange juice maybe?"

R- "Mmm if you don't mind."

Shadow left and returned in quick succession, with two glasses of juice, however he preferred apple to orange.

Sh- "Beans, bacon, eggs and black pudding, enjoy."

R- "Black pudding? How do you expect me to eat this?"

Sh- "The same way I do... Pretend it's an organ of someone you despise, it goes down a treat."

R- "That is disgusting..."

Shadow dug in, devouring every unfortunate piece that was pierced by his rapid cycles with a fork. Rouge on the other hand tried her best to avoid the pudding, taking it slowly.

Sh- "Are you gonna eat that?"

R- "What do you think?"

Sh- "Give it here then, don't think I've ever eaten both of Black Doom's kidneys in one day before..."

Rouge laughed a bit at Shadow's inner child; at least he did have a sense of humour now.

R- "So when will we be leaving?"

Sh- "What time are you meeting the Faker?"

R- "About eight fifteen."

Sh- "We'll leave in fifteen minutes then, give you some more time to get ready..."

R- "I'm ready now you cheeky bastard. I don't take that long."

Sh- "Well we'll leave now then. Give me a sec."

Shadow took out the plates and glasses, meeting up with Rouge in the garage afterwards, who was waiting beside the car.

Sh- "Sorry, had to find the spare garage key."

R- "No probs, think Sonic will take a liking to it then?"

Sh- "Doubt it, I just hope the local news teams don't find out."

R- "Aww, you camera shy?"

Shadow got into the driver's side, and opened the garage door remotely while Rouge got in the other side.

Sh- "I don't mind the cameras. It's the half assed questions they ask."

R- "Well you had better be on your best behaviour then. The last thing HQ needs is any more publicity."

Sh- "Yes mother..."

Shadow drove out onto the road, then took his usual route for work. Shadow's last utterance had kept the two silent for the rest of the journey. Neither of them had anyone in their lives to resemble a mother or a father, both having to fend for themselves most of their life.

HQ came into sight, and Shadow entered the car park, driving straight up to the entrance into his reserved space. Markings had already been placed on the pavement of where Rouge's space would be, cheering her up a bit.

Sh- "I swear if you ever scratch my baby with your door..."

R- "Stop being so self centred Shadz... Come on, we'll see if he's here yet."

The two left the car park and headed in, Larry standing up from his desk upon their arrival.

L- "Morning Agents. It's nice to see you all fixed up Agent Shadow."

Sh- "Yeah, thanks Larry..."

R- "Has Sonic been in here this morning?"

L- "Well I haven't seen him, but then again that's not saying much, he's the fastest thing I've ever seen."

Shadow lowered his head in disappointment, annoyed at the fact that the Faker gets all of the feats rather than him.

L- "Ap- Apart from you Agent Shadow of course! Anything you two need?"

Sh- "We're fine. Thank you. Just let me know if he comes in got it?"

L- "No problem sir, go on through."

The pair walked through the scanner, heading further into the building, now in the main lobby.

Sh- "Go take a seat, I'll be back in a minute or two."

Shadow turned away and walked off to another part of the lobby out of Rouge's sight. She went and took a seat in the waiting area, which luckily was quiet. It hit 8 o'clock, meaning Sonic should arrive in the next 15 minutes or so, giving Shadow and Rouge some time to kill.

Sh- "Here."

Rouge jumped not knowing Shadow was behind her, holding two cups of coffee making it clear where he went.

R- "Thanks... You really need to stop startling me like that."

Sh- "I wouldn't be good at my job if I wasn't incognito would I?"

Shadow sat down in a seat opposite to Rouge, kicking his feet up onto the table.

Sh- "You know, having a sickness vacation isn't too bad..."

R- "How much time are you gonna try and scam the commander out of?"

Sh- "I'm not scamming anything! Don't you see the scars?"

R- "Yeah, and they look fine to me."

Sh- "Not to mention being kicked in the face a few times isn't going to do me any good is it?"

Rouge looked away in guilt, remembering beating him while he was down a few days ago.

Sh- "You still owe me for that..."

R- "And you still owe me an answer."

Sh- "To what?"

R- "What did Sonic make you realise..." She sung, lengthening certain words to emphasise that she wanted an answer right now.

Sh- "What did I tell you? Another day."

R- "Yeah, it is another day. Let me guess, it was when he wanted a word with you outside wasn't it?"

Sh- "Maybe."

R- "And only he knows other than you?"

Sh- "I'd say probably Katie and Amy too..."

R- "And you can't tell me because..."

Sh- "It would ruin my life further most likely..."

R- "You're never gonna tell me are you? Why do I even bother with you..."

Sh- "On my word, when the time comes, you'll know. For now, let's focus on getting a few things sorted, Sonic being the first obstacle."

R- "I'm sure he won't be completely useless Shadz, have some faith in him."

Shadow's pager beeped, receiving a message from Larry, notifying him of Sonic's arrival.

Sh- "He's here. Let's move."

The two got up and headed for the entrance, to find a small group of people crowding around Sonic, wanting autographs and photos.

Sh- "Great... Who let these urchins in to the building?"

R- "You're not jealous are you?"

Sh- "Of course I am. I'd love to be constantly crowded by idiots for doing fuck all."

R- "Any ideas on how we'll get them to leave?"

Sh- "A few, but none without sending the whole building into a panic."

Larry approached the two from the back of the crowd, looking exhausted.

L- "Agent Shadow, lend me a hand here?"

Sh- "And his job title says security..." He murmured to himself, while leaving Rouge behind and getting closer to the crowd.

R- "Please don't kill anyone... Or seriously maim them..." Rouge thought to herself, knowing something ugly was about to happen.

Sh- "Remove yourselves or face the consequences."

His request fell upon deaf ears.

Sh- "Ugh... MORONS!"

A few of the fanatics turned around, noticing Shadow standing there, looking as if he was about to blow. The noise slowly started to drop, falling to a silence soon after, more people taking notice of Shadow behind them.

Sh- "You are trespassing on government property. Leave now or the armed security will get involved. Your choice."

Most of the crowd dispersed, leaving the building while others returned to their workstations.

So- "Good morning to you too. Why are you even here today?"

Sh- "Someone has to make sure you get to the commander on time."

So- "Hey Rouge! How you doing?"

Rouge approached them, still drinking her coffee that Shadow had gotten her.

R- "Fine thanks, you ready then?"

So- "Well I'm a bit nervous, but I'm willing to give it a go, you coming Shadz?"

Sh- "I'll walk with you to his office, only you and Rouge will go in, I'll wait outside."

Shadow gave his lead, causing both Sonic and Rouge to follow him shortly after, just out of earshot.

So- "How was he after we left?"

R- "Half and half really, I think he remembered a few more things about Maria... But he was smiling a bit, so I guess he isn't too beat up about it."

So- "You're the only person I know who can make him laugh or smile. You should try and see if you can make him cry, then you'll know if he's changed or if he's been playing us."

R- "What would making him cry prove?"

So- "You'd be able to control his emotions, or shards of emotions, whatever he has bottled up and locked in a safe..."

R- "From what I just saw, nobody suffered from injury there did they? He actually talks to us now, that's an improvement isn't it?"

Shadow entered an elevator, waiting for the other two to get in before choosing their destination. There was nothing but an eerie silence on the descending journey, and when the elevator came to a stop, Shadow retook his role as leader, leaving the other two in his footsteps.

So- "Talking huh? I could almost hear all of the voices in his head it was that quiet."

R- "Just lay off him, he's having a hard time right now, what with Katie leaving."

So- "No news from her at all?"

R- "Nope, she's gone off the radar. I don't know why Shadz cares so much about her, after what she said..."

Sh- "We're here."

Shadow stopped outside of an opaque glass door, turning around with his arms crossed.

Sh- "Make it short and sweet. I have things to do."

Sonic nodded and entered the room, while Rouge just studied Shadow's facial expressions and stance.

R- "You're anxious about something, something up?"

Sh- "You'll see later, go on in, he's waiting."

Shadow turned and walked back to the elevator, needing some time to think before making his next move. Rouge joined the meeting, sitting next to Sonic who was facing the commander, exchanging friendly greetings.

C- "I'm glad you got back to us so soon, did you do as I requested?"

So- "Yes, both Shadow and Rouge accept the change."

C- "Agent Rouge, I understand why you would agree, as one unit squads are against my motto, but Agent Shadow... Why did he agree so willingly?"

So- "Well... He-"

R- "He believes Sonic is the only one suitable enough to take the position and maintain Squad One's success rate, sir."

Rouge looked to Sonic with a concerned look on her face, he had almost already spilled something to the commander that was supposed to be kept under wraps.

C- "I see. Is he present today?"

R- "Yes sir. He wants to have a discussion with you about something later."

C- "Very well, Sonic, if we are to go through with this there are a few things we need to go over..."

Shadow went for a walk around the offices, passing countless employees in their booths, all typing, talking or writing.

T- "Looking for someone?"

Shadow stopped and looked to his right, to see Topaz in her chair at her small desk in her small cubicle.

Sh- "Yes and no. What's it to you?"

T- "Don't get snappy with me. What are you doing in my department?"

Sh- "Trying to take my mind off of things. How's life in a box?"

T- "It's great, fucking perfect. You know, I had a really nice dream the other night, that scene of Rouge pummelling you kept repeating itself in my mind."

Sh- "Well keep dreaming Topaz. Maybe you should start dreaming of being reinstated to field work."

T- "Look, I'm on a tight schedule, tell me who you are looking for so you can get a move on got it?"

Sh- "A white hedgehog. Named Katie, about 22."

T- "Ah, so that's who Rouge told me about, why are you looking for her? Not at home in one of your rooms?"

Sh- "No. She left yesterday, we haven't heard anything since then."

T- "I'm sorry, Rouge didn't tell me that she had left, I'll run a few checks and report it later."

Sh- "Thanks T."

T- "No problem, now get out of here before I have a change of heart."

Shadow left the office floor, leaving through the same door he just used, returning to the elevator and headed back down to the lobby. He got himself another cup of coffee, and returned to the same seating area from earlier, trying to get a rest from it all... Then he was interrupted again.

L- "Agent Shadow, how are you?"

Sh- "I'm fine Larry... What is it?"

L- "Just wondering why you're here that's all, Rouge and the commander are giving Sonic a tour of the building."

Sh- "Where are they?"

L- "Currently? Last time I seen them they were heading for the training hall."

Sh- "Much appreciated. I gotta run."

Shadow stood up and headed down the large hallway, with his new destination.

L- "I'll come with you. Want me to get you another drink?"

Sh- "I'm good, thank you."

Larry was starting to get on his nerves, he hated the constant attention. Not only that, he practically matched Shadow's path step for step.

They arrived at the double doors leading into the training facilities, opening them both with a large push. Shadow continued ahead, walking past both sets of changing rooms, marching right up to the commander who was explaining the many functions the room serves, and pointing out certain sets of equipment that only G.U.N possessed.

So- "I think that's everything then. When do I start?"

C- "I like your drive boy. You remind me a lot of Agent Shadow, but with a bit more charisma. Your first assignment will be tomorrow if that is okay? I will brief you on it later and give you time to plan ahead."

R- "Here comes trouble..."

Rouge noticed Shadow storming up to the commander, not focusing on anything else.

C- "Ah, Agent Shadow. I've heard you want to discuss something with me, correct?"

Sh- "Yes, sir."

C- "Out with it then son, We haven't got all day."

Sh- "I'm coming back into service. Effective immediately."

C- "The hell you are agent."

Sh- "Sir?"

C- "You aren't ready for active service Agent Shadow. I don't need a degree in Psychology to see that."

Sh- "My wounds have healed. I am fully capable of taking on missions."

C- "You are still recovering from trauma. It is clear you are still in the early stages of the healing process. Your reactions are shot, your movements are slow. Go home and rest. You are dismi-"

Sh- "I'll prove it to you then."

C- "Continue..."

Sh- "See this as a way of testing me and the rookie." Shadow turned his head to Sonic, who grinned in return.

C- "A test? Agent, you are barely in a condition suitable enough to play a game of chess."

Sh- "I fought Rouge in a worse condition, let me have a chance."

C- "Agent Sonic, what is your view on this?"

So- "Shadow isn't one to drop something after a few words, I believe it is best if he gets what he wants."

C- "Very well, Agent Shadow, your preferences?"

R- "Shadow, just leave it... If you didn't beat me then you won't stand a chance against him..."

Sh- "My preferences? Let's see... He wants to join Squad One, so he will get a taste of what assignments in the big leagues are like."

So- "Get to the point..."

Sh- "Knockout only, no weapons, no rules."

C- "Hmm... Any requests?"

Sh- "A medical team."

So- "Come on bud, did you have to go through this when you were assigned to the highest tier?"

R- "Shadow, get a hold of yourself, the commander is right, you need some rest."

The commander signalled to an agent who was on a treadmill behind him, who stopped their workout and headed over to him.

"Yes sir?"

C- "Contact the medical bay, have them send a few people down here. Have them prepared for the worst possible scenario."

Shadow turned away, walking to that same ring he was in just days ago, when his unbeaten streak had come to an end.

R- "Get your ass back here! You are not fighting him!"

Sh- "If this is what it takes to get my job back then I'll do whatever it takes."

R- "Why are you so keen to come back?"

Sh- "You think I want to sit around at home all day while you two get all of the action? No way, I'm going to prove to myself I can still do this..."

R- "And what if you come out worse? Or Sonic for that matter? Why aren't you thinking about these things?"

Sh- "It's till knockout, not death, calm down..."

Shadow slid under the ropes, sitting on a small metal stool in one of the corners, getting himself motivated.

So- "Rouge, just let him have what he wants, he's just being a bit stubborn."

R- "He's being childish... Why won't he listen to me..."

So- "Look, if he gets too exhausted I'll forfeit, hopefully the commander will see the reasons why."

R- "He's in no condition to fight..."

So- "Rouge. Look at me."

Rouge turned her head, looking at possibly what was Sonic's most sincere face he could muster.

So- "I don't want to hurt him, but he made me promise to look after you during missions. This is him testing me to see if I have what it takes."


	35. Chapter 35 - An inextinguishable flame

Chapter 35 - An inextinguishable flame

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Rouge took her place at Shadow's side, talking to him in one of the four corners of the ring before his fight.

R- "Please don't go all out on him Shadz... He's doing all of this for you remember."

Sh- "And I'm doing this for you. He needs to understand what is to come. Take these for me."

Shadow handed Rouge his inhibitor rings, which she opened her hands to collect.

R- "Shadow..."

Sh- "Go and take a seat, this won't take long."

Shadow was taking this seriously; his playful mood from last night had been replaced by his determination to find perfection. The commander was talking to Sonic on the other side of the ring, standing just outside. Rouge left Shadow alone, taking a seat close by.

C- "Are you ready for this Agent? I doubt he's going to go easy on you."

So- "The way I see it, if I can't take down an injured opponent, what use will I be to you?"

C- "Just because you can get beat doesn't mean you are useless. Remember that."

The commander turned his head to see the same agent he had sent away return with a bunch of the medical staff, and about fifty colleagues of his. Among them was Topaz, who took a seat beside Rouge, giving her a hug when she had settled down.

C- "It's time. Agent, take your place before he gets snappy like last time."

Sonic stepped up to the plate, and accepted Shadow's challenge by joining him within the ring.

T- "What's going on then? We were told Shadow was getting jumpy. Not fighting him again are you?"

R- "Not me this time... Look."

Rouge nodded in Shadow's direction, which Topaz followed, seeing Sonic now in the opposite corner.

T- "Well now... My dream is coming true..."

R- "Another bad morning I'm guessing?"

T- "Not much has come in really; Shadow popped by and asked me to look for Katie. By the way, did she say why she left?"

R- "She said more than she should have, that's for sure."

T- "An argument I'm guessing then. Anyways, why are these two fighting?"

R- "Shadow wants to test Sonic to see if he can step into his shoes and have a perfect fit. He told the commander he is doing it because he wants to get back to work, but that was just a little white lie."

T- "Why does he want Sonic pushed to the limit? It's not as if you can't call for backup if you need it."

R- "Because misery guts over there thinks that I need someone to look out for me at all times."

T- "You're kidding? That thing actually considers other people's wellbeing?"

R- "T, he's letting me stay at his. If he didn't care I'd be out on the streets, or worse, at your place."

So- "Well Shadow, the commander took the bait, now what?"

Sh- "Now? Now is whatever lies before us. Don't hold back, I called for a med team for a reason, so you had best be ready."

Shadow stood up, silencing the crowd, while cracking his knuckles and neck.

So- "If you really want to be visiting the hospital again so soon then I'll be happy to take you there."

Sh- "If you have any strength left..."

They stood a few feet apart, staring at each other, eyes locked.

C- "Agents, good luck. Begin."

After that word was uttered, Shadow disappeared, nobody in the room knew where he was or where he would return, and neither did he. He materialized behind Sonic landing a kick to the back of his shoulder, before disappearing again.

So- "That's how you're playing is it..."

Sonic regained his footing and stood still, leaving his back exposed, to which Shadow seen this opportunity. Shadow materialized again behind Sonic, sending another kick his way. Sonic caught on to Shadow's tactics quickly, and retaliated with an elbow behind him, blocking Shadow's foot.

So- "Have you ever actually beaten anyone with this method?"

Shadow dropped his foot back down to the ground, and regained his breath from his first assault.

Sh- "More people than you've met Faker..."

Shadow retreated to his corner, taking his eyes off Sonic who was still standing in his starting position.

So- "Is that it? You're leaving?"

Sh- "You wish... I might as well take it easy, you obviously aren't experienced with combat."

Shadow bent over to pick up a bottle of water, uncapping it and taking a drink. Sonic lunged at him while there was a chance, but Shadow's uncanny ability with Chaos Control sent Sonic straight through him. He reappeared in the centre of the ring with the bottle still in his mouth, not breaking a sweat.

Sh- "See? Your efforts are futile."

So- "You gotta learn by trial and error... Isn't that right?"

Sh- "Almost... In Squad One there is no room for error."

Shadow threw the bottle in Sonic's direction, messing up his reactions as Shadow charged at him while the bottle was still mid flight. Sonic was hit by the bottle in the chest, and took a crunching uppercut from Shadow, sending Sonic to the ground. Shadow held his knuckles with his weaker hand, the punch was so fierce it had torn the skin slightly beneath his glove.

Sh- "Well that's a first... I can only imagine the pain you felt yourself from that."

So- "Nothing I can't handle." Sonic got to his feet quickly, shrugging off the previous blow and returning to his fighting stance.

Sh- "I'd expect nothing less from someone said to be my equal, are you going to hit me now then?"

Sonic lunged at Shadow, fist heading straight for Shadow's head. Another induction of Chaos Control, and Sonic's attack went straight through him, Shadow appearing in the same spot almost instantly. Sonic was prepared for the Chaos Control and had already swung his left leg behind him at head height, making the first connection. Shadow landed face first onto the mat, another critical hit to his jaw. He got to his feet one after the other, and started to stretch out his arms, accepting the fact that he had underestimated his opponent.

Sh- "Well then... It looks like I'll have to take it up a level."

So- "Yeah right, you're forgetting who you're dealing with bud."

The two locked eyes again, like it was only them in the room, as the crowd remained silent. Rouge had gripped Topaz's hand firmly, wanting the pointless fighting to stop.

The commander was occasionally giving lectures to the agents around him, who were too busy watching the event to listen.

Sh- "You had much more fight in you back in the day... Where did it all go?"

So- "I could ask you the same thing, are you yourself even capable to protect Rouge?"

That was provoking, and Shadow jolted forwards, sending punch after punch into Sonic's defensive stance, to which he took every one, which angered Shadow further.

Sh- "How are you still standing?!"

So- "Two reasons... You underestimated me and overestimated yourself..."

Another barrage from Shadow, and Sonic remained on his feet, his arms still raised protecting his face.

So- "We can do this in your kitchen if you want? You actually know how to fight in there."

Sh- "Shut... Shut up..."

Shadow was fatigued; the repetition of attacks had winded him, leaving him vulnerable. Sonic settled the debt by landing several punches to Shadow's chest and one to each cheek. He landed on the floor again, faint bruises starting to appear.

So- "You should have kept your rings on, they obviously stop you from over thinking things."

Sh- "If I kept them on, I wouldn't be able to master the power of Chaos."

Shadow stood up, clenching his fists, which were irradiated with a faint green glow.

So- "Well, well... You can teach an old dog new tricks after all... When did you learn this one?"

His answer was not present. Shadow appeared behind him in the blink of an eye, already in the process of a final blow. Sonic dodged to his left, but took the flaming punch to his arm heavily. The attack had burnt Sonic's arm dangerously due to the volume of the raw Chaos energy.

C- "Agent Shadow! This is a bout, not a death match!"

Sh- "The only way for us to beat the other is to aim for the kill, sir."

C- "You had better know what you are talking about Agent."

The commander sat back down, enraged at Shadow's sudden change of attack style. Since Sonic dodged the first attack barely, Shadow summoned a Chaos Spear, throwing it at Sonic's feet, which he dodged, along with the next six that were thrown.

C- "Agent!"

Sh- "What?!"

Shadow turned to the commander, with a fire burning in his eyes, clear to anyone who was unluckily on the opposite side of them that they were not to be messed with.

C- "Do NOT kill him!"

Sh- "He's still standing isn't he?!"

The commander again sat down, worried about Shadow's unusual rebellion. Rouge however, was full on scared of it.

R- "He's going to kill Sonic at this rate... Or himself..."

T- "As much as I hate to say it, Shadow has a good drive... He wasn't this pumped the last time he fought."

R- "Because I'm not his rival, and these new moves... He's going for the kill..."

T- "I thought you said they were friends? Why would he try to kill Sonic?"

R- "You're asking the wrong person. He's the only one who knows what's going through his mind, but I doubt even he himself knows right now."

The commander knew that this was probably a good time for a break, so he stood up to make the announcement.

C- "Agents, take a breather. You have two minutes until we continue."

The crowd erupted into a loud chatter, as the combatants returned to their respective corners.

R- "Finally... I'm gonna go see what he's up to."

T- "If he'll talk to you that is..."

Rouge stood up and rushed to the corner where Shadow had collapsed onto the turnbuckle, taking another drink from his bottle.

R- "What are you playing at?"

Sh- "Stay out of this."

R- "You made me a promise."

Sh- "And to fulfil it I need to make sure that you will be safe."

The commander approached Sonic in his corner, who looked in a much better condition than Shadow.

C- "Well done Agent, I apologise for the tough battle, if I had known he would be homicidal, I would of sent him away immediately, however it seems you are up to the task."

So- "I'll try my best sir."

C- "That's what I like to hear."

The commander returned to his seat while Rouge remained ringside.

Sh- "Look at him... Barely a scratch on him, but I know I've hit him... He's not going to be standing much longer..."

R- "Calm down... Just don't lose control of yourself. I'll be here for you if you need me."

C- "Agents, times up, resume."

Shadow stood up, as did Sonic, both returning to the centre of the ring.

So- "Had time to cool down?"

Sh- "Quite the opposite... I'm ready to finish this."

They stood still for nearly a minute, before the first move was made. Sonic swung first, which was met with a Chaos Control. Shadow appeared behind Sonic, kicking him forwards into an oncoming fist from yet another Chaos Control, downing Sonic.

Sh- "You are too slow... Why am I wasting my time with you?"

So- "You know why." Sonic spat to his side, before adding to his answer. "You need my help."

Sh- "Help yourself. Leave now."

So- "Squad One doesn't back down. You of all people should know that."

Sonic swept Shadow off of his feet with a kick, and then mounted his downed rival, pummelling his face before he could block the massacre. Shadow began to cough, the taste of blood ripe on his tongue.

So- "Are you finished?"

Sh- "Ne- Never..."

Sonic stood up and kicked him in the gut, causing him to cough rapidly.

So- "Forfeit."

Shadow slowly got to his feet holding his stomach, regaining focus and vision. He charged at Sonic, tackling him to the ground, returning the same punishment that he was just dealt, a barrage of punches. The only difference in Shadow's attack was the speed, and a small ounce of Chaos energy mustered on the tip of each knuckle. Shadow sent this attack out differently, like he was attacking somebody who was responsible for the death of a family member, like he was attacking for revenge, which gave Shadow power, lots of it. Sonic was out cold, and Shadow withdrew from the assault, standing up towering over his opponent. Sonic's head dropped to the side, with a small stream of blood flowing from his mouth, and his eyes were now closed, just a few more punches away from what could have been a certain death.

Sh- "You fought honourably, but with no experience."

Shadow stretched his arm out, summoning a Chaos Spear which he gripped tightly. He lifted the spear above his head, which grew stronger and larger as time progressed, and slammed the spear down in Sonic's direction.

R- "Shadow! Don't!"

C- "Agent!"

The spear had hit the mat, inches away from Sonic's motionless body, but close enough to feel the heat irradiating from it if he was conscious.

Sh- "You almost had me for a second... But you have no motive. Without purpose... There is no perfection."

Shadow smirked at Sonic's body, before dropping to his knees, facing the full effects of the attacks from earlier which made it hard to breathe. His vision faded, and he soon after joined Sonic lying on the mat in a bad condition. Removing his inhibitor rings had increased the risks of using Chais energy, and those risks had hit Shadow all at once.

R- "Shadow!"

Rouge ran into the ring, lifting up Shadow's head, which was bruised heavily and decorated with cuts.

C- "Med team, proceed with usual routine."

The small squad of nurses and doctors swarmed the arena, surrounding Sonic, Shadow and Rouge.

"Miss, please give us some space, we need to get these two to the ICU immediately."

C- "Agent Topaz, escort Agent Rouge away from the training hall."

T- "Yes sir."

Topaz got to her feet and jogged over to the panic in the centre of the room, resorting to dragging Rouge away from Shadow, in tears.

T- "Rouge, let them do what they need to do... You can't help him."

Rouge was clawing at Topaz trying to escape her grasp, however the medical team had taken the fighters out on stretchers. Rouge gave up and dug her head into Topaz, needing some comfort.

T- "Shh... It'll be all right... I'll let Amy know, she'll come down and help you while I'm away okay?"

R- "I don't want her... I need him back."

T- "Rouge. Snap out of it. He did what he did and you have to acknowledge that."

The commander walked over to Topaz, while everyone else in the room was either talking over one another or staying silent in horror of what the had just seen.

C- "Agent Topaz, I gave you an order."

T- "Sorry sir, I'll go now."

Topaz led Rouge out, still in tears by her side. They sat down on a bench on one side of the hall, Rouge not able to speak without making it worse.

T- "What is with you girl? They're going to be fine."

R- "He's always risking his life for other people, either of them could take a bad turn, and the commander has assigned Squad One a mission tomorrow and I'm the only one in a condition suitable enough to do it!"

T- "Deep breaths okay? Look, you're tired, just go home and take a rest, I'll try and find Shadow's keys for you."

R- "I have them here... With these..."

Rouge held out his pair of inhibitor rings, which were soaking wet with tears.

T- "While he's in the ICU you won't be able to see him. Seriously, go home and sleep, I'll call you if anything happens."

R- "T..."

T- "No buts, I'll take you myself if you don't feel like driving."

Topaz stood up, getting a hold of Rouge's free hand and dragging her to her feet. Everyone who had watched the fight was now coming out of the training hall, followed by the commander.

T- "Sir, may I take an early break? I need to get Rouge home."

C- "Very well, Agent Rouge, I apologise sincerely for the outcome, but your team mate needs to learn when enough is enough."

Topaz led Rouge away and out in to the car park, escorting Rouge to Topaz's car hired from G.U.N, a black 4x4, the standard covert vehicle of an agent.

T- "It's not as quick as Shadow's Porsche, but not all of us have access to the tier one set of vehicles..."

Topaz had to fasten Rouge's seatbelt for her, to prevent an escape and most likely an intrusion into the ICU.

T- "Right, I'm gonna need your help here, where does he live?"

R- "Four miles down the highway, vineyard turnoff."

T- "You sure?"

R- "Yes..."

The journey was silent from then on out, Rouge stared at the passing scenery with gleaming orbs, but managed to hold back all sobs. After taking the turnoff Rouge instructed, they entered an open estate of detached houses.

T- "Which street?"

R- "Third on the left."

They took another turn, leading in to the nicer houses on the estate.

T- "And which house?"

R- "That one..."

Rouge pointed to the house which had no signs of anyone living in it.

T- "You had better be telling me the truth... I don't want to explain why we were trying to get in to a fancy house with a random key that could open anything."

Rouge stepped out of the car, Topaz shortly after, approaching the designated house.

T- "How and why did he get a place like this..."

Topaz unlocked the front door, Rouge took the lead heading into the narrow hallway and then to Shadow's room. She put his inhibitor rings onto one of the bedside tables, and tried to leave the room before Topaz blocked her path.

T- "Where do you think you're off to?"

R- "I can't sleep in here... I won't feel any better..."

T- "Get a grip Rouge, it's not like he's family."

This sent Rouge into an even greater sorrow, her true colours showing beneath the thick shell that was usually present.

T- "I'm sorry, I didn't realise what I said... But either way I'm not leaving until you go to sleep. Come on."

Topaz turned Rouge around and took her back to the bed, which she eventually got in to and settled down.

T- "Just call me if you need me, and I'll get here as soon as I can okay?"

R- "Okay..."

Topaz closed the door behind her, trusting Rouge to stay indoors and not crawl back to HQ. She drove off, heading back to work to meet with Amy, whom she sent a text to on the way to Shadow's house. Rouge just lay there, in Shadow's bed, looking at the ceiling having difficulty to rest with ease.

Rouge can't sleep, and Shadow can't wake up.


	36. Chapter 36 - Recovery

Chapter 36 – Recovery

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Eyes started to open, feet started twitching. A few doctors rushed to his side, while he was waking up from his comatose state.

"Where am I..?"

"Sir, he's awake."

The commander was present in the room, walking over to the recovering combatant and taking a seat beside his bed. The doctors left the room to allow a private conversation between them.

C- "Agent, it's nice to see you finally awake."

"Where am I?"

C- "Take it slowly Agent, you are in the recovery bay."

"Where is he?"

The commander knew who he was talking about, and looked down to the floor.

C- "Still in the ICU... His wounds are too severe."

"I apologise sir..."

C- "It wasn't your fault Agent, he went far beyond his limit."

He just lay there, raising his arms to see what had occurred, his memory a bit blank.

"Is he going to be okay? Where's Rouge?"

C- "Easy Agent... Miss Rouge has been taken home, Agent Shadow however... We can't tell yet."

The commander stood up, turning back around to face Sonic.

C- "You have a visitor waiting, however I think it will be best if they wait just a little bit longer while you take in your surroundings."

So- "I don't mind, send them in."

The commander nodded, and then left the ward, leaving Sonic by himself in the empty room, but not for long, as Amy ran in and took her place beside Sonic.

A- "Are you okay? Topaz told me you fought with Shadow."

So- "I did, and I lost."

A- "What came over you... You know that you shouldn't be fighting with him."

So- "I know... And he almost paid the ultimate price for it."

A- "What do you mean?"

Sonic turned his head to look at a sign above a door at the end of the ward. The sign was lit up and in large red letters was the word "BUSY".

So- "From what I know he's been in there for about an hour or so."

A- "What did you do to him?"

So- "I didn't do anything. I remember being beaten, and then I blacked out. The last time I saw him he was fine."

A- "Is anything broken? Can you move?"

So- "I'm fine Ames, just a few burns and bruises, I'll live."

A- "Burns?"

So- "Shadow has been learning to harness his power. His Chaos Control is much faster, and he has more weapons than just a spear now, he can physically remould and rebuild Chaos energy, it's almost like an armour."

A- "And you have been slacking behind! Look at you!"

The heavy metal doors burst open, and a few members of the medical team pushed an occupied bed into one of the bays, closing the curtains around the bed instantly.

"Get about five doses of morphine stat!"

A doctor emerged from the curtain, jogging past Sonic and Amy, heading out of the ward to raid the storage for drugs.

So- "What the hell happened to him..."

A- "I didn't get a look at him, but the way that they are still busy even outside of the operating room is worrying."

Topaz had returned to her office, getting to work on trying to find some leads on Katie, but to no avail. Her pager started to beep, receiving a message from the head of the medical ward.

"Agent Sonic is conscious, and Agent Shadow has been removed from the ICU, please notify the boss of Agent Shadow's improved condition."

T- "Finally... But I think the commander won't mind holding on a few minutes will he?" She said to herself.

Topaz picked up her phone and called Rouge, who answered almost immediately.

T- "How are you?"

R- "That's a stupid question isn't it?"

T- "I have some good news... But if you're going to be snappy, I might forget what it is..."

R- "He's awake?!"

T- "Not that I know of, no. He is however out of the ICU now, so you may be able to come in and see him. Don't get your hopes up though, he may still need some recovery time."

Topaz was waiting for a reply, thinking that Rouge might have burst into tears of joy.

T- "Rouge..? Are you there?"

All Topaz could hear was a faint tone, obviously Rouge had hung up.

T- "Why does she care so much about him?"

Topaz put her phone back down and got back to work. Rouge on the other hand, had rushed into Shadow's garage and hopped onto his motorbike, quickly locking up after leaving the house and rushing back to HQ. Topaz relayed the message to the commander personally, and went with him to make a visit to the medical ward.

C- "Agent Sonic, how are you feeling son?"

So- "Better thanks, I think it's time to ditch this bed and get back on my feet."

A- "Don't push yourself."

T- "Rouge is on her way back, I've notified her of what's happened since she left."

C- "And why did you do that Agent Topaz? Why would she be so concerned with either of their recoveries?"

T- "Trust me sir, I have no idea myself, but I believe since both of them are technically her squad mates, she has a right to know their current conditions, sir."

C- "That is out of your jurisdiction, Agent. I do however agree that she should be able to see them, Agent Shadow however, let the docs do their work and then we'll see."

T- "Thank you sir."

A- "Topaz, what happened to Shadow after Sonic was knocked out?"

C- "I'll tell you what happened miss... Agent Shadow was about to go for the kill."

T- "I don't think he was going to kill him sir... It's not like him to break his own rules."

C- "He created a Chaos weapon which looked strong enough to break through 10" thick carbon plating. If that wasn't meant for a killing blow, tell me what it was for then."

A- "It sounds to me like he was making a point."

C- "A point of what?"

A- "Most likely to show that he was still able to keep going."

"Good work, he's stable, have a drip ready for when he wakes up, we need to know what the situation is from his view later on."

The curtain was slowly withdrawn, three doctors and a surgeon approached Sonic's bed after winning their battle.

"Sir, we've managed to stabilise his condition, he had an almost fatal amount of adrenaline pumping around his system, his heart could have given in at any point."

C- "Good work, go and take a break and we'll call you back if something happens."

"Yes sir, thank you sir."

The four looked towards the bed that was recently vacated, to see Shadow lying there.

A- "Oh no..."

Amy stood up and walked over to Shadow, who had far more burns than Sonic had, scattered all over his body.

So- "What is it?"

Amy turned away from him, not being able to look at Shadow any longer, his body in a complete mess, dried blood like tattoos scattered in patches everywhere.

C- "I warned him about that Chaos energy... He should not have taken those rings off."

T- "Will he be alright?"

C- "I'm sure he'll be up and about soon enough, the team will patch him up with a few meds and he'll be good to go."

So- "Amy, what's wrong?"

A- "Your friend is lying just yards away from you circling the gutter and you are asking me what's wrong?!"

So- "He's going to be fine Ames... It's not his current condition I'm worried about, it's when he's awake I think he'll be even worse."

T- "Rouge is gonna kill him..."

So- "Getting Rouge angry is the same as tying the knot in your own hanging rope, that's for sure."

A- "How can you joke around like that?! Look at him!"

So- "Why weren't you so worried about me earlier?"

A- "You were awake! He's not! You were moving! He's not!"

So- "Amy chill! There's nothing we can do right now."

Sonic shuffled his legs out of the bed, and stood up, stumbling over to Shadow, to assess what had happened.

So- "We're here bud... You gave me a challenge, and you were the better man, congratulations."

Sonic sat down in the seat next to Shadow's bed, approaching two hours since they had fought.

C- "Agent Topaz, report back to me if something happens. I have a meeting with the board soon and must prepare."

T- "Yes sir, I'll keep an eye on them."

The commander left the ward and headed back to his office, leaving Topaz with Sonic and Amy.

A- "That guy gives me the creeps..."

T- "You're telling me... Rouge once caught him giving a lecture in his office, to himself!"

Sonic remained silent, still feeling an odd sting on his cheeks, but realising it was nothing in comparison to what he must have felt earlier.

The doors at the entrance of the ward opened once again, but this time it was Rouge joining them and not the commander.

T- "No hellos or goodbyes today, what's up with you?"

Rouge walked straight past Topaz, aiming straight for Shadow, Sonic standing up as she approached.

So- "Rouge... I.."

R- "How is he?"

So- "We don't know, all we were told is that he almost died, he hasn't made any improvements since."

R- "Can you leave me alone with him for a second?"

So- "Of course, just try not to touch him, we can hardly tell where he hasn't been injured."

Rouge sat down while Sonic walked away, joining Amy and Topaz near the door.

So- "Yep, she's pissed."

Rouge looked up and down his body, which was stained with blood in a lot of places previously untouched before he was taken into the ICU, which she identified throughout her scan.

R- "You had me so worried..."

Rouge touched the palm of his outstretched hand, trying not to have another breakdown.

R- "Look at me... I'm falling apart and what for? Because you're just so stubborn..."

Rouge was now gripping his hand gently, trying not to apply too much pressure.

Shadow was alerted of a presence beside him, his fingers started to curl, now gripping Rouge's hand.


	37. Chapter 37 - Temporary reconciliation

Chapter 37 - Temporary reconciliation

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

R- "Shadow..?"

His grip only tightened, perking Rouge up a bit, his responsiveness showing hope.

R- "Shadow? Can you hear me?"

He didn't open his eyes, nor speak a word, but something inside him was trying to escape.

R- "Shadow please... Shadow wake up..."

So- "Rouge... He's not asleep; it's not as simple as that."

Amy nudged Sonic in his side, telling him off for being insensitive.

So- "Well it's true..."

R- "He knows I'm here, he's moving sometimes."

So- "It's most likely that his muscles are just tensing, it happens a lot when you have next to no energy left."

Amy nudged him again, this time for just being plain stupid.

A- "Rouge, I think we should leave him for a bit, give him some time to rest."

R- "He can rest when he's better... I just want him back among us."

So- "You can't wait by his side forever... What if he doesn't wake up?"

A- "Will you stop being so ignorant?!"

So- "I'm just looking at this from a neutral perspective..."

A- "And it's upsetting!"

So- "Well excuse me for sharing my opinions... Tell me, right now, what are the current differences between Shadz and a potato?"

R- "How about if you dare speak another word about Shadow, I'll wipe the floor with you?!"

T- "Rouge... You need to just relax, as much as I'd like to see you beat him up, it won't solve anything."

So- "Gee, thanks for the support Topaz."

T- "If you don't chill you'll end up back in that bed, keep that in mind. Rouge, come and get something to eat? You're probably starving."

R- "I don't need food right now..."

T- "Look, you're gonna get me depressed if you don't stop sulking, come on, he'll be okay for half an hour, then you can come back and see him."

Topaz led Rouge out, followed by Sonic and Amy, leaving Shadow to himself. They headed for the small cafeteria near the ward, sitting down at the same table. Rouge sat there with a sort of demure expression, wanting to be left alone.

T- "I'll go and get us some drinks."

A- "Thanks Topaz, I'll just have whatever you're having."

T- "Sonic?"

So- "Anything, don't really care."

T- "And Rouge, I'm guessing just a coffee?"

Rouge didn't answer, but just sat there with her head in her hands.

T- "Okay... I'll be back in a second."

Topaz left the table, upon which Amy tried to console Rouge.

A- "Cheer up Rouge, he'll get better soon, I promise."

R- "Don't give me false promises... Sonic was right, he might not wake up."

So- "Finally, she agrees, think we can change the subject to something that we can all relate to?"

A- "He didn't mean it when he said Shadow won't wake up, Didn't you?"

So- "Fine... There's only a small chance he won't wake up."

Amy kicked him under the table, hitting his shin violently.

So- "I mean, no, he'll be with us soon, really soon. Better?"

A- "You are such an idiot..."

Topaz returned, with a number for the table, after having ordered some food.

T- "Drinks should be here soon, and the food a few minutes after."

A- "Great, I was dragged in here before I was able to get anything to eat at home, thanks to Sonic..."

So- "I didn't ask you to come in did I?"

A- "It would kill you if nobody came to visit you, imagine the damage your ego would take."

Topaz laughed a little, while Rouge remained emotionless, still grieving.

So- "Yeah, funny."

The drinks were brought to the table two minutes later, everyone taking a drink except Rouge.

T- "So, has the boss briefed you on your first assignment yet?"

So- "Not yet no, but hopefully he'll go easy on us, right Rouge?"

Rouge still didn't answer.

So- "Rouge!"

Rouge looked up, still not caring about what they have to say.

R- "What?"

So- "You had better not be this distracted tomorrow. I don't want an extra burden on my hands."

A- "Sonic, just don't."

So- "No, I will, I just worked my ass to the bone to get this job, and I don't want to end up like a potato after my first day."

R- "SHUT UP!"

Rouge stood up, adopting some of Shadow's characteristics, mainly a short temper, staring Sonic down and making a scene.

T- "Rouge! Sit down... Just take it easy..."

_ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH_

The four of them turned their heads to the doorway of the cafeteria, having a feeling of what had just happened.

R- "Shadow..."

Rouge ran out, quickly pursued by the others, bursting into the ward with doctors seconds behind them. Shadow was awake, holding his arms in agony. Rouge ran to his side, however he didn't acknowledge that she was there, as the pain was too much for him to take.

R- "Shadow, it's okay, I'm here."

Shadow still didn't reply, gritting his teeth and wincing simultaneously.

"Agent Shadow, we need to know the most affected area, can you tell us?"

Still no reply.

"Agent!... It's no use; we have to give him an anaesthetic. Now! We'll have to numb the nerve receptors in his arms until we find the source."

R- "What's happening to him?"

"He's most likely burnt the receptors near his radial arteries. We need to do a small procedure to try and reset the nerves."

R- "Is it dangerous? Will he be okay?"

"Providing we can find the nerves and repair them quick enough, he should still be able to use his arms."

Sh- "Rouge..."

R- "Yes, I'm here, you're going to be alright, got it?"

Sh- "Heh... Don't worry about me..."

"Applying the anaesthetic now."

R- "Hang in there... I'll be right here when you wake up."

Sh- "Rouge... Go now, let them do what they have to."

"Miss, we need to take him away immediately."

Rouge let go of Shadow's hand, and his bed was wheeled into the ICU, about to be prepped for the procedure.

So- "Well, I guess without arms he pretty much will become a potato."

Rouge slapped Sonic on her way out of the ward, returning to the cafeteria with Topaz.

So- "What does everyone have against potatoes?!"

A- "Come on you... Grow up and stop winding her up, you're embarrassing me."

Shadow's operation was complete within the hour, but he was still under the anaesthetic, which would soon wear off after being under it for almost four hours. Topaz had returned to her office, while Amy and Sonic returned home, after a briefing with the commander. Rouge was back at Shadow's bedside, sticking to her word of being with him all the way.

"Miss, is there anything you need? A drink perhaps?"

Rouge had now been sat at Shadow's bedside for the past three hours, not leaving him alone for a second.

R- "No thanks, I'll be alright."

"Don't hesitate to call for us if you or Agent Shadow require assistance."

The last doctor left the ward, leaving only the two of them alone. Shadow had small stitches travelling up each wrist, bringing back memories of the past, where he was in a very similar situation. That time she had much more anger towards him. Rouge saw self-harming as a coward's way out, and Shadow was willing to play the coward if it meant an end to his misery.

His eyes started to slowly open, the blinding light shining down from above making it a much harder task. He regained focus and could see Rouge in the corner of his eyes.

Sh- "You okay?"

R- "Am I okay? Look at yourself."

Rouge gave him a small hug, and then sat back down to let him have some space.

R- "Still feeling any pain?"

Sh- "A little, whatever they tried must have worked."

R- "You can't do that ever again, energy isn't meant to be that concentrated..."

Sh- "I can't remember why I tried it; I knew that it wouldn't be good for either of us. I'm sorry..."

Shadow lifted his arms, inspecting the handiwork of the surgeons.

R- "Try not to scratch them; they're designed to remove themselves when the incision has healed."

Rouge picked up her bag, raking through the bottom looking for something.

R- "Here, you'll need these."

Rouge handed him his inhibitor rings, which he took and equipped, clicking into place.

Sh- "Where's everyone else got to?"

R- "Topaz is still looking for Katie, but can't find any leads, and Amy took Sonic home, probably to keep me from tearing his head off."

Sh- "Hasn't he suffered enough today? What did he do?"

R- "He said you weren't going to wake up, calling you a vegetable, and then saying I should find someone else."

Sh- "Find someone else?"

R- "For a partner... I mean a squad mate!"

Shadow rested his head back down, trying not to push himself too far.

Sh- "What time is it?"

R- "Coming up nine, why?"

Sh- "You should get back, it's getting late."

R- "And what about you? I can't leave you by yourself. The staff need to go home at some point too you know."

Sh- "Are there any doctors still about?"

R- "A few yeah, is it starting to get worse?"

Sh- "I'm fine, but I would like to have a talk with one of them, could you find one for me?"

R- "Of course, I'll only be gone for a minute."

Rouge left Shadow to begin a search for some staff, while Shadow tested a few simple movements. His legs were fine; his arms however were a little bit stiff from being pumped with drugs repeatedly. Rouge returned alone and sat back down next to the bed.

R- "One will be here in a minute or two. Are you sure you're okay?"

Sh- "Depends, I'm sick of being in this situation, the old me would have wanted to rip these stitches out and let nature take its course. Now..."

R- "Now... You realise that you were blind back then, and you now acknowledge that you have things to live for. Do you want to try getting up?"

Shadow dropped his leg to the side of the bed, followed by the other, and Rouge pushed his back up straight, so he was sitting on the edge.

R- "Ready?"

Shadow slipped off, landing on his feet while still propped up against the bed. He took a stance, and stood up fully, not resting on the bed anymore.

R- "Good..."

Sh- "Don't patronize me..."

R- "I'm not, you're doing well considering you haven't stood up in hours, the drugs won't be helping your balance either."

Sh- "Rouge... I'm sorry I didn't let you know about my true intentions for coming in today, but you have to understand why I did what I did."

R- "It's fine Shadow... What's with the change of heart? Normally you wouldn't apologise without a request."

Sh- "It's nothing..."

A doctor walked in the room and approached the two, who were both standing at the side of the bed.

"Agent Shadow, good to see you on your feet. You requested to see me?"

Sh- "Yes, I'd like to know what was damaged earlier."

"Well, the energy was so irradiating that it bypassed the skin's defensive barrier completely and went straight for your nerves, like a molecular attack that only the nerves could detect, or be damaged by in fact."

Sh- "I see, is there a way to replicate the same outcome without the side effects?"

"I apologise, only you will be able to find the answer to that question, tests would have to be done to find materials strong enough to insulate the radiation."

R- "Thank you doctor, but he won't be trying it ever again with a risk as great as it is, will you?"

Sh- "Unless a sacrifice needs to be made, then no."

"Will that be all?"

Sh- "Yes, thank you."

"Very well, I can put in a proposition to a nearby hospital and ask them to look after you for the night if you need it."

Sh- "That won't be necessary; I'll be in good hands at home, thank you again."

The doctor nodded and left the room, Shadow turning to Rouge when he left.

Sh- "Got the keys? Or did you take the car back?"

R- "Nope, still have them in my bag, but I also brought your bike..."

Sh- "Very well, I'll get the bike another time. Anything you need to do before we leave?"

Rouge shook her head, and Shadow took her hand, inducing a Chaos Control, taking them to the pitch black car park just outside of the building. Rouge pulled the key out of her bag and unlocked the car, getting into the driver's side and opening the passenger door from inside.

R- "Can't have you putting too much pressure on your wrists, come on."

Shadow slid in, and Rouge leaned over and closed the door for him, before putting his seat belt on for him.

Sh- "I can do these things myself you know..."

R- "I agree, but it's not worth taking any unnecessary risks is it?"

Sh- "You really need to live a little."

R- "That's coming from you?! You need to learn the meaning of living."

Rouge started the car and headed home, still having a friendly dispute.

Sh- "And how would you personally live life to the fullest? An amateur bank job perhaps?"

R- "You don't know me at all do you? You should come out with me and T on a bar crawl."

Sh- "That's your idea of living?"

R- "Well it's better than sitting home every night being anti-social..."

Sh- "I am not anti-social!"

R- "The hell you aren't... Remember when you were picking me up one night, and that girl was clearly interested in you?"

Sh- "Look, I had no idea why she would want to come back to mine, and I still don't!"

R- "The point is, you don't talk to people."

Sh- "Yes I do."

R- "Outside of work."

Sh- "Right, I still talk to people..."

R- "People who work in shops don't count either."

Sh- "Fine, what about you then? I'm talking to you now am I not?"

R- "That still doesn't count... You don't have a choice with me."

Sh- "Tell me then, how would coming out with you and your girlfriend benefit me in any way?"

R- "She's not my girlfriend Shadz... You are so immature. If you came out with us, you never know, you might find something you like, or someone..."

Sh- "I doubt that."

R- "Come on... It'll be fun."

Sh- "Fine, when are you next out then?"

R- "Well after tomorrow's assignment, we're all free for the weekend right?"

Sh- "You want to go out on a Friday? Isn't that going to be a bit busy?"

R- "That's the idea... Yeah. Too dangerous for you or something?"

Sh- "Not at all, I just didn't expect you or Topaz to enjoy the tough nights out."

Rouge took the turn to head into Shadow's street, trying to make out the house in the darkness, eventually pulling into the driveway and then into the garage.

R- "Home sweet home..."

Sh- "Home? Since when was this place your home?"

R- "Well it is for the time being until something else comes along."

Shadow took off his own seatbelt, not hurting him anywhere near as much as he had expected it would. They got out of the car and headed inside the house, switching a few lights on to see where they were going.

Sh- "You should get to sleep, you don't want to be tired for tomorrow, you need to educate the rookie."

R- "And what will you do?"

Sh- "Probably just watch some television until I fall asleep."

R- "Why don't you come and tuck me in first?"

Sh- "Because you aren't five... Someone who is quadruple that doesn't need 'tucking in'."

R- "You're no fun..."

Sh- "The name's Shadow, nice to make your acquaintance."

Rouge prowled over to the coffee table, as Shadow sat down on the larger of the sofas.

R- "And what if I were to take the TV remote?"

Sh- "Then I would have to take it off of you by force."

Rouge arched over, picking up the remote in question and started to walk out of the room.

R- "Ooh, that could be fun..."

Sh- "Rouge... Don't make me get up just to play your silly games."

Shadow's request fell upon deaf ears, yet he knew that Rouge had heard him clearly. He got up and headed for the hallway.

Sh- "Have it your way then, I'm going to bed."

Shadow closed the door behind him, flicked the bedside lamp on and then locked the door afterwards. He kicked his shoes off, and got into the cool bed, a bit chilly due to the bad weather recently, cooling the room down considerably.

R- "If you didn't want me to leave you could have just asked..."

Rouge emerged from the bathroom, with a devilish smirk on her face.

Sh- "So you were hiding in here then... Are you just gonna stand there or turn the light off and get in?"

R- "Ooh Shadow..."

Sh- "Oh shut up..."

Rouge turned the light off, and got in a minute later after following the usual routine.

R- "Can you set the alarm for me? Hopefully I won't wake you when I get up."

Sh- "Its set, is six okay?"

R- "Lovely, nighty night..."


	38. Chapter 38 - A first time for everything

Chapter 38 - A first time for everything

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

Rouge slammed her hand down on to the alarm, which had already been abused countless times by Shadow. She got up and headed for the bathroom, about to take a bath before starting the day that lay ahead. Shadow was still asleep luckily, not woken by the clock which was moved to Rouge's side. Sonic was probably still asleep, making Rouge a little bit nervous about showing up to the commander's office by herself.

It was now about half six, and Rouge had returned to the bedroom, picking out some clothes to wear from one of the wardrobes that she had claimed and filled in quick succession. Turning her phone on after getting dressed, she noticed a text from Sonic which was sent before even she herself had woken up.

"Can you pick me up at around seven? Only if Shadz will let you take his car. Call me."

R- "I guess he's earned a lift..."

Rouge was still not amused with his behaviour yesterday, but since he actually got up this morning, Rouge thought she should probably get him to work on time. She pulled his number out from her contacts and called the number, while putting her mascara on in front of the mirror.

So- "Hey, you all set to go?"

R- "Not yet, and I doubt Shadz will agree with me taking the car without letting him know."

So- "Well where is he?"

R- "He's asleep, I brought him back last night."

So- "He got out earlier than expected then, just leave him a note or something, he won't mind if it's you taking it."

R- "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

So- "Because you're his best friend, not to mention you've saved his life a few times, he owes you big time.

R- "Yeah well, Shadow wouldn't be Shadow if he didn't show any gratitude would he?"

So- "You've got me there, don't rush yourself, just tell me if you can't make it through here."

R- "I'll make it, see ya soon."

Rouge put her phone down, and finished off her makeup, which was not really that important seeing as she would be doing it again later on in preperation for the night out. She noticed Shadow still asleep, snoring gently, the only time he is ever at peace.

R- "What do you dream about?"

Rouge walked over to Shadow's side of the bed to get a closer look at him, finding a smile cracking on his face.

R- "You can be cute when you want to be..."

She bent over and give him a quick kiss on his cheek, before walking away to find her trainers.

Sh- "And you... You're beautiful."

Rouge stopped in her tracks and turned around, looking at Shadow with a discerning look.

R- "What was that?"

Sh- "I said you're beautiful..."

R- "Am I dreaming again? Damn it I must have fallen asleep."

Rouge just looked at Shadow, who was still lying in the same place with his eyes closed.

R- "Shadow?"

Shadow wasn't actually awake, he was talking in his sleep to somebody.

R- "Shadow, are you awake..? Who were you just talking to?"

Sh- "Rouge..."

R- "Okay then... Bye..."

Sh- "Goodbye Rouge..."

Rouge walked away, confused at what had just happened, but it also left her a little warm hearted. She left the room and headed for the living room to continue her search for shoes and the keys. After another five minutes, Rouge finally set off to find Sonic and take him to work, both having a big day ahead of them.

Rouge pulled up outside of Sonic's apartment, although he spent the majority of his nights in Amy's guest bedroom, whenever there was a problem with his own accommodation usually. She beeped the horn and a few minutes later, Sonic arrived, stroking the car's bonnet, and then whistled before he got in.

So- "Morning Rouge."

R- "Hey! Looking forward to your first mission?"

So- "Sure am, as much as I am looking forward to seeing what Shadow's car is like on the roads."

Sonic sat down in the passenger seat, admiring every little feature that the car had within its interior.

R- "You'll have to ask Shadz if you want to see what it's true purpose is. Today, I think I'll stick to the speed limit, I don't want to damage it or he'll have my head."

So- "Were you told what we would be doing today? I can't remember seeing the commander again after you arrived."

R- "As soon as Shadz woke up we went home, I didn't get a chance to see the boss."

So- "Well to be honest I wasn't really paying full attention to what he was saying, but I heard something about being in charge of a sweep team?"

R- "Ooh... Been a while since we've done a bust, he must be taking Omega's work capacity more seriously now."

So- "So are they easy, hard, dangerous, safe, what?"

R- "Depends on the area and size of the team really, a larger team in a well built up area like downtown usually results in a few casualties. A small team in the 'under-class district' is usually a breeze, not much action there."

So- "Seems cool. Do I get a badge like you and Shadow?"

R- "What? You mean this little thing?"

Rouge pulled out her badge which was on a chain underneath her shirt, making Sonic a bit jealous.

So- "Yeah, that one."

R- "Well... To get this specific one, you need to win an agent of the year award... I doubt you'll get one any time soon, seeing as the award ceremony is next week."

So- "So what, I don't get any I.D?"

R- "Sure you do. You'll be given a small laminated card with your details on."

So- "Great..."

Rouge giggled a bit, laughing at the comparison between his ego and a small bit of card with his name on it.

R- "Can I ask you a question about Shadow?"

So- "Hit me. Wait! Don't actually hit me... I don't want to be in the same boat as he was..."

R- "Stay on my good side and you'll be fine. Have you noticed anything about him when he sleeps?"

So- "Well when he was on the couch recently he seemed normal, but a little while back when he crashed at mine for a night, he seemed a little odd."

R- "Let me guess... Was he smiling?"

So- "And talking a bit... Yeah, happened again I'm guessing?"

R- "It would seem so... Can you remember what he said?"

So- "That's an easy one, keep in mind that this was just over a year ago... He was happy, and it sounded like he was talking to Maria. Well, that was the first time I heard him."

R- "There was another?" Rouge turned her head to look at Sonic, making sure he wasn't playing any tricks on her.

So- "Yeah, the second time... Well... I don't know if I should really go into it with you."

R- "That's a shame Sonic... Remember how you were meant to stay on my good side?"

So- "Okay, fine... He was talking to Maria again, but he wasn't happy to be talking to her this time. He was happy because he was talking about you."

R- "Ugh... I should have known."

So- "What's up?"

R- "Nothing, please, go on."

So- "Well... He was just telling Maria about everyone that he's met in his time here, he just had more to say about you than anyone else, most likely because you spend so much time together. So... What was this time about?"

R- "I may have heard something that I shouldn't have." Rouge looked a bit sad, knowing that this isn't what he would want. "Just after I called you, I went to go check on him, just to see if I woke him up or not."

So- "Right..?" Sonic arched an eyebrow, if his predictions were correct, he knew what was coming next.

R- "And... I saw him smiling, so I just said that he looked cute."

So- "And..?"

R- "When I walked away, he said 'You're beautiful'. I asked him who he was talking to and he just said my name."

So- "Why is that a bad thing?"

R- "Because... I'm feeding him hints that he simply refuses, it's tormenting him."

So- "You sure he's refusing them?" Sonic gave a smirk, putting his hands behind his head and stretching his legs.

R- "Know something that I don't?"

So- "Come on Rouge... You flirted with Knux for ages, and nothing happened. You move in with Shadz and you're in his bed within a week. If that's not taking the bait, you need to look up the word 'catch'."

R- "What are you trying to say?"

So- "I'm saying... You're closer than you think."

The G.U.N building was in sight, and Rouge pulled into the car park swiftly, approaching the front of the building.

R- "Ooh... My spot is finished!" Rouge yelped, looking at her parking space right next to Shadow's, pulling into it soon after.

So- "Think I'll get one?"

R- "Of course not, you don't even own a car."

So- "Neither do you!"

R- "Come on, stop being jealous."

Rouge got out, locking the car door after Sonic climbed out, then headed into the lobby of the building to see a small team of armed agents, receiving a small pep talk from the commander.

C- "Agents. Nice to see you here on time, come and meet your squad for the day."

The squad gave a small cheer, like a war cry, in honour of their new leaders.

C- "Miss Rouge, may I ask when Agent Shadow will be turning up?"

R- "Sir?"

C- "Well, it would seem that his sports car is parked in your space, so I presume he will be joining us, no?"

R- "Commander, Shadow has just lent me his car for the day, it's just temporary. I brought Sonic here so it's sort of better for the environment, you know, carpooling?"

C- "Then I guess he will confirm this if I were to ask him now?"

Rouge was dropped in it, mainly because Shadow was asleep, and if the commander found that out, he would see straight through Rouge's lie.

C- "Very well, excuse me for a second."

The commander turned around, took a few paces, then took out a state of the art mobile, using speed dial to connect him with his top agent. Shadow's phone started ringing violently, which he wasn't grateful for.

Sh- "What is it?"

C- "Agent Shadow."

Sh- "Sir, my apologies, is there a problem?"

C- "Did you grant Agent Rouge clearance to control your automobile this morning?"

Sh- "Did I lend Rouge my car? N-... Yes, why? Has there been an accident?"

C- "No, thank you Agent, I just needed confirmation. Commander out."

Sh- "Good day sir."

The commander returned to Sonic and Rouge, looking down at Rouge angrily.

C- "Agent Shadow begs to differ. He has no idea that his car is even gone."

R- "Wha- but.. But, he!"

C- "I got you! I'm messing around Agent, he said he knows, just having a bit of fun, that's all."

Rouge was recovering from a mini panic attack, while Sonic was starting to like his new boss.

C- "Agents, since you arrived early, perhaps you would like to go through some strategies with the team."

So- "Sure thing."

Shadow meanwhile, was annoyed at his slumber being interrupted, resorting to going out to the back to wake himself up. He set out a small training routine, that will help him regain some strength in his arms, and maintain strength elsewhere, starting with weights that were on a rack near the back door.

The assigned team were almost at Sonic's heels, now knowing he was one of the people leading the squad.

R- "Agents, arms check in five. No gear, no mission."

The agents in question were all checking their equipment instantly, not wanting to miss the opportunity to be fighting alongside Sonic.

R- "Well, they're keen, that's for sure. Having you around may not be so bad after all."

So- "What can I say, unlike Shadow, people like me."

R- "I guess with all of these fans there's also less chance of you taking a bullet."

So- "Wait, bullets?"

R- "What do you think we do? Hit our enemies with sticks? These are trained squads prepared for armed warfare. Unless of course you are a true member of Squad One, you won't need to get involved with the ground war."

So- "Why's that?"

R- "Because it's a sweep. Squad One collects intel for example, and get out as quick as possible, the strike teams are just there to ensure our success."

So- "Sounds a bit unfair to me."

R- "War isn't fair... Shadow hates working with the strike teams, I'm sure you can guess why."

So- "The same type of squad sent to the ARK?"

R- "Yep... I'm sure you have heard of the brutality that was displayed back then. Luckily, our new commander doesn't agree with such disregard."

So- "Is that why he has a sort of relationship with Shadz?"

R- "Probably..."

C- "Agents, the van is ready if you would like to gather your squad and head out."

R- "Sir, where is the location of the sweep?"

C- "A small apartment complex, they deal with highly illegal smuggling. No doubt they have weapons."

R- "And our objective?"

C- "Yours is to watch over Agent Sonic here, and extract any information on other whereabouts of these hideouts."

R- "Very well, be back soon sir."

The two led their squad out to the front of the building, where the armoured truck was waiting in the drop off point.

Shadow was finished with his workout, his arms not able to progress any further, so he headed back inside to hit the showers, and then prepare for their night out.

(Important A/N!) - Hey, just wanted to say thank you for all of the reviews and positive comments left for this fanfic! And I'm also going to issue a challenge! If this individual story reaches 100 reviews and 12,500 (maybe 15,000 if it's broken too quickly) total views, I will be announcing something special later on in the story! For now however, I am asking for a much smaller request, and that is to either leave a review with a rating (on a scale of 1-10, or 0 if you're a meanie :p) and just tell me what I can improve on in the future, or what I'm doing well. Peace out!


	39. Chapter 39 - It finally emerges

Chapter 39 - It finally emerges

~ Disclaimer ~ I do not own the rights to any of the characters or locations that are patented with Sega, only those that are of my own creation.

The truck's engine roared as all of the agents were present and accounted for, as the doors were closed and the driver set off for the target destination. The commander took all precautions possible when sending agents out on assignments, providing similar trucks for transport, usually equipped with bulletproof tires, glass, and a tough exterior. Whenever Squad One accepted an assignment, Shadow would usually deny the offer of the armoured transport, believing it is a waste of time. The commander always tried to get him to change his mind, claiming he wants all of his agents to be at next to no risk, to which Shadow brings up the times that the trucks have malfunctioned, and have even been destroyed due to underestimating whatever firepower the enemy was capable of acquiring. The strike team was uncommonly excited for this task; usually the truck would be silent inside, with soldiers dreading what was to come. This time was different, with a change in leadership; the team had a new motivation that wasn't present with Shadow. Sure they respected him, but there wasn't much trust in him, due to his unsettled vendetta.

So- "Who's the longest serving agent here then?"

"Me sir, five years of service, sir!"

So- "Five years? I was expecting that to be around the minimum for a squad of this level."

R- "Slots aren't filled for too long around here. Front line teams such as this one have frequent casualties, and most agents leave to other divisions or work within HQ. Agents who last over two years in a strike team are either lucky or they are damn good at their job."

So- "Don't you ever get nervous?"

R- "Well... Yes... But you can't show concern when you lead a squad."

So- "And Shadow?"

R- "Well he doesn't show anything does he? He neither scares them nor motivates them."

So- "Think I should check on him?"

R- "I'm sure he'll love you of all people trying to look after him."

So- "Pass me your phone."

R- "Please?" She scoffed, searching her pockets and handing him her phone.

Sonic worked his way around Rouge's phone, eventually finding Shadow and giving him a quick call.

Sh- "Hey Rouge, it's dead in here without you... When are you coming back?"

So- "Are you coming on to me Shadz?"

Sh- "Oh... It's you... Ignore what I just said."

So- "No no, please, continue... I was just seeing how you were, but it seems like you're having a good time."

Sh- "Just enjoying some time off that's all... Lying down with a few beers before tonight... How's your mission going?"

So- "We're on our way there now, what's happening tonight? Something you're not telling me?"

Sh- "Not at all, where are you heading to?"

So- "No idea... Hold on, Rouge wants to talk to you."

R- "Hey Shadz... How was your morning?"

Sh- "It was going great until I was asked if I knew the whereabouts of my car..."

R- "Oh I'm sorry... I just didn't want to wake you. You looked like you were having a nice dream so I just took the keys."

Sh- "Well don't take too long, I need some more beers bringing back."

R- "You're drinking quite a bit recently, are you worried about something?"

Sh- "You don't know half of it..."

R- "Right well I've gotta go, we're almost there and we need to prep. I'll bring you back something later okay? See ya soon."

Sh- "Fine by me, good luck."

Rouge ended the call and put her phone back into one of her large pockets.

R- "What's so funny?"

So- "Nothing... Thought I called the wrong number or something..."

R- "Why? Did he actually say hello?"

So- "Nope, I think he wanted you to go back home and snuggle in with him..."

Rouge blushed a bit, and the truck came to a halt, and the driver got out to open the thick doors at the back of the truck.

"This is as close as we can go without raising suspicion. The target building is half a block down this street on the right."

R- "Understood, be ready for evac in 10 minutes, close this street down and make sure nobody else gets in or out."

"Yes ma'am, we'll tune in to your frequency when you take the squad in."

R- "Ready Sonic?"

So- "I guess..."

Rouge handed him an earpiece with an inbuilt microphone.

R- "Put that in, it's already on the squad frequency, come on, let's do it."

.

Shadow opened another can, taking a sip before lying back down with an arm behind his head. He took a look at his phone on the bedside table.

Sh- "I wonder..."

He picked it up and initiated another call; however there was a few minutes of ringing before an answer came.

"What is it?"

Sh- "I just want to know if you are okay..."

"I'm fine, leave me alone..."

Sh- "Katie... You're worrying us. Where are you?"

K- "I'm staying with a friend."

Sh- "Why don't you come and have a chat with me, I'm in the house on my own, nobody else."

K- "So, that bitch has finally moved out?"

Sh- "What do you have against Rouge? She hasn't done anything to you."

K- "I'll give you ten minutes, after that, I'm gone, and you will stay away if you know what is good for you."

Katie hung up, which got Shadow quite annoyed at her for being ungrateful, but she was acting strangely after people started to move in.

.

R- "Been a while since I've had to enter the building myself... This will be much different without Chaos Control..."

The team was pressed against a wall of a nearby building, close to their target building, which was about fifty yards in front of them.

So- "What the hell went on over there..?"

Sonic was pointing to a nearby yard, which was in front of a familiar house, a house that had blood stained heavily on the wall. Rouge turned her head, shocked at where they were, now knowing their location.

R- "No..."

So- "What is it?"

R- "That's... That's where _he_ lived... Kronos..."

So- "No way... You think he was involved in what we're heading into?"

Rouge was frozen, the recent memories of Shadow near death in her arms were coming back to her. Then the images of before that came to mind, those blood curdling screams as joints were pulverized.

So- "Rouge?"

A single tear made its way down Rouge's cheek, still not taking her eyes off of the recent battle ground.

R- "We should go... Let's finish this."

So- "Rouge... Are you okay?"

R- "Someone fetch me a rifle, the rest of you move out."

So- "Rou-!"

R- "They're going to pay... All of them."

So- "Look, calm it down a bit..."

R- "He was one of them; they all deserve the same fate that he got..."

Rouge was handed an M16A4 from an agent in the team, with a few magazines and a small pistol, just in case. They caught up with the rest of the team who were positioned outside of the front door, ready to breach.

So- "Do you even have any experience with those?"

R- "You obviously haven't checked the leaderboards back at HQ. Remember, before Shadow came along, I was the commander's favourite."

So- "And that means..?"

Rouge cocked the pistol and holstered it in her belt, rearming herself with the assault rifle.

R- "That means, Shadow had to beat the highest score to get to the top."

So- "You're telling me that you were the best marksman at one point? Your accuracy is probably as bad as your taste..."

R- "Agents, breach in five. We split in to three teams. Half take left, half take right. Sonic, you're with me. Mark!"

The agents prepared, and after five seconds, the door was kicked off of it's hinges onto the ground. Four agents took each turn, while Rouge ran through the middle, closely followed by the rookie, who had hardly any idea of what was happening. G.U.N used codes for every building during an operation, such as the layout, which had a code similar to that of a chessboard.

"A1 clear! B1 clear!"

The building was oddly quiet, with no signs of movement in the first two rooms that the two teams had scouted. The room that Sonic and Rouge were in was no different, but it was clear that this room was where whoever was in charge of the hostile operation would receive their orders. A single laptop perched on a crate was proof of this.

R- "Take this, cover me while I see what's on here."

Rouge slid her pistol across the room to Sonic, who was peering around every doorway, checking for any unwanted company.

R- "Just point and shoot, like those video games you and Tails used to play."

So- "It's not really the same Rouge..."

R- "I know it isn't but just try your best. Think of it as a competition with Shadow, I'm sure that will give you a boost."

Rouge got to work with the laptop, typing away to find the most recent interactions.

.

Shadow was up and about, waiting for Katie to arrive, what with it being about twenty minutes since he called her. He was onto his fourth and last can and loving the freedom of doing whatever he wanted, a reminder of what days used to be like before G.U.N. He heard the front door open, and then slam shut shortly after. Katie entered the living room, and didn't take off her jacket, showing that she was serious about making a short visit.

Sh- "You're allowed to knock..."

K- "I'm not here to play games. What do you want?"

Sh- "I want to know the truth. Are you sure you have somewhere to stay, and whoever it is doesn't mind?"

K- "The person I'm with actually wants me to stay with them, so they've already one upped you by a long shot."

Sh- "Don't be that way... I didn't want you to leave, I just wanted you to apologise."

K- "You had a funny way of showing that then. Is that all you wanted?"

Sh- "No. I want to know if you would like to come back here."

K- "And why is that?"

Sh- "Because we're worried about you."

K- "We?"

Sh- "Yes, me, Rouge, the others..."

K- "Rouge is worried about me? Like I believe that for a second."

Sh- "She is! What is your problem with her?!"

K- "My problem with that girl is you."

Sh- "Me? What do you mean?"

K- "She's playing you, and you seem to enjoy going along with it. You're being used and you know it."

Sh- "How is she using me? You're just making excuses. You were friends with her before that morning."

K- "Look... She's pretending to like you, and sooner or later she's going to stab you in the back."

Sh- "And her reason for doing that would be..."

K- "Think about it, being the best at your job, then someone comes along and wipes the floor with you."

Sh- "We have the same job, why would she be jealous of that?"

K- "Remember how easy it was for her to turn on you when she found me?"

Sh- "It was a misunderstanding..."

K- " *sigh* You really want me to come back?"

Sh- "Of course, you'll be safe here with us."

K- "Us? So she's still living here?!"

Sh- "I didn't say she had gone."

K- "Then you have to make a decision."

Sh- "And that is?"

K- "Either she goes... Or I do."

Sh- "Katie... Why can't you come back without any complications? You don't have to talk to her, and if she does go behind my back, which she won't, then I'll admit I was wrong. Okay?"

K- "Shadow... I appreciate that you helped me... But it's not as simple as that."

Sh- "So that's it then? You're just going to leave like that? I saved your life. I avenged you!"

K- "And you also broke my heart... I'm sorry. Please... Don't try to call me again."

Katie started to leave the room, before Shadow uttered his last words to her.

Sh- "It was never about Rouge being jealous of me was it?"

Katie stopped still, her head dropped down to look at the floor.

Sh- "No... No, you... You were jealous of Rouge... You ARE jealous of Rouge... Why didn't you just tell me? Me and Rouge... We're not like that..."

Katie turned her head, which was now engulfed with tears which had arrived silently.

K- "Don't lie to me... I can tell just by looking at you two..." Then she herself, left silently, not saying another word to him.

Sh- "Katie!"

He stood up and ran after her, to have the front door nearly slammed in his face. Shadow returned to his sofa, defeated, and sat down to try and put all of the pieces together.

Sh- "All of this time... What have I done..."

.

So- "Rouge, how long left?"

R- "Give me another minute. Get on the comms to the teams, tell them to regroup here."

So- "Got it."

Rouge refocused on her objective, getting every last detail before bailing. Sonic had his hand to his ear a few feet away, relaying the message to the two squads.

R- "Right... That should be everything. We need to get this back to HQ and analysed, ready to move out?"

So- "Something is wrong... Why would nobody be here, yet leave all of that in plain view?"

R- "They didn't expect anyone could take whatever is on here, that's probably why. The amount of firewalls I had to bypass for this information is beyond me..."

So- "So... You're saying it's important stuff?"

R- "That... Or just a decoy."

So- "You think they're smart enough to plant a false trail?"

R- "They're criminals... The fact that they haven't been arrested yet is proof of a corruption somewhere in the system."

Alpha squad had arrived outside of the room, and the leader of the squad joined Sonic and Rouge, reporting how the search had went.

"The whole building is clear ma'am, no identification of hostiles anywhere..."

R- "Did you cover your tracks? We don't want them knowing it was us who came in here."

"Bravo squad have tried to fix the door the best they can, unless these guys check their door every day, we should be good."

R- "Good work, where are Bravo squad now?"

"In the process of keeping the peace in the street, and checking out some nearby houses. Me and the rest of Alpha are all present and awaiting new ord-"

*TssT* "Squad leader, Bravo squad, we have something here you may need to see."

R- "Bravo leader, what is your current position?"

"Half a block south, left hand side, third building."

R- "On our way, have you ran into contact?"

"Negative, but there's something here that you probably won't like."

R- "Alpha, we're heading for that building now, call for evac at Bravo's current location."

Rouge and Sonic left the building they were in, still holding their firearms, running across the street to their new target. The destination in question was the house of the recently deceased Kronos. Rouge rushed in, trying to block out the bad memories, and met up with Bravo, who were in one of the upstairs rooms. The room they were in was small, most likely meant to be an office, with one desk and a chair, and with a large board hung up against the wall. On it were photos, mainly those of Katie, Shadow, and his home.

R- "This must be where he planned it..."

"Ma'am, shouldn't we warn Agent Shadow?"

R- "This is an old operation... The one behind this is dead, by Shadow's own hands."

She noticed the picture of Shadow, which had a large red cross through it, which then raised the question, why didn't he kill Shadow when he took back Katie?

"Who had something against Agent Shadow? And why?"

R- "Believe it or not, Shadow was targeted because he saved this girl's life." She pointed to the image of Katie, which instead of a large cross, it had a large circle around it, obviously the priority.

R- "This is also the reason that Shadow is currently out of service and not with us on our mission today."

"I'm guessing that explains the front of the house..."

R- "That was Shadow's doing, that's what happens when he's really pissed."

"Are we ready to leave now?"

R- "Yes, evac is waiting outside; we should go before word gets out."

Rouge, Sonic and Bravo met outside with Alpha squad, who were mounting up into the armoured truck.

R- "Good work guys, a quick clean sweep with no casualties. I'll put in a word for you all to be a regularly assigned squad to provide back up to Squad One."

The heavy doors were closed, and the driver returned to the wheel, speeding off and heading back to HQ.

So- "Think we should tell Shadz how it went?"

R- "Go ahead."

Rouge found her phone more easily this time, handing it to Sonic, then calling the number in a majority of the time.

So- "He's not picking up... Will he have went out?"

R- "He wouldn't without letting anyone know. We can drive straight back to his if you want, tell him all about your day."

So- "It won't hurt I guess, that's if he isn't passed out of course."

Sonic handed the phone back to Rouge, who was currently removing her earpiece.

.

Sh- "She knows it wouldn't work anyway... Why did she persist..."

Shadow was sitting on his sofa, having not moved since Katie left for the last time in his mind.

Sh- "I understand it all now... It must have been Kronos... He messed with her head. He wanted to break her will..."

.

"G.U.N headquarters, everyone out of the truck and head in for debriefing!"

R- "Thanks for the lift corporal."

"Any time Agent Rouge, give Agent Shadow my best if you see him."

R- "Will do, see you later."

The squad stepped out of the truck, led by Sonic and Rouge, who regrouped in the main reception of the building.

R- "Team, dismissed. Enjoy the weekend. Sonic, with me, we're going to report to the boss."

So- "Yes sir..."

R- "Excuse me?"

So- "Ma'am... Sorry, force of habit."

R- "Now I see why Shadz prefers to call you a moron more than anything else..."

They left the team at the lobby, who were slowly dispersing, as the remaining two agents had gone to report the mission success to the commander.

So- "Think I did okay then?"

R- "Well it's hard to tell really. There wasn't any contact, however you followed the orders given and did it sort of professionally."

So- "Well I can't be blamed for the lack of gunfire can I?"

R- "True, but don't get used to the idea of assignments being as simple as a walk in the park."

The two stopped outside of the commander's office, Rouge taking out the memory unit with the intel stored on it.

R- "You first..."

(A/N) - Thanks for reading this far and I hope you enjoy what is to come! Leave a review and a new chapter will be uploaded every Monday, Wednesday and Friday unless stated otherwise!


End file.
